Thursday, January 21, 2010

First bread

Just before the lobster was another first on New Morning. The first fresh baked artisan breads.

First Fay made focaccia from an Alice Waters recipe, to which she added machego cheese, basil pesto, caramelized onions and spices. That was dinner one night. Then the next day she stretched it into a pizza for lunch!

Not to be out done, I took my hand to the bread baking. First flour (white + rye), salt, water, and a pinch of yeast which fermented overnight. In the morning, a quick fold and 15 min rest, followed by shaping (I tried two) and two more hours of rising, then into the oven. We were very worried the oven wasn't up to the task, but with our baking stone in place and 45 minutes of pre-heating, it was great. The breads came out really well, easily exceeding my expectations.

Since we both love good bread (with olive oil and balsamic it's practically a meal in itself) we now know we can always have good bread. What a relief to no longer be at the mercy of the grocery store, mercado or supermarché.