Pane di Alfansomura, take III
An invite to a dinner party for 8 folks at our uncle's house prompted my wife to say that she would like me to bake a few Semolina batards to bring. She, OTOH, decided on baking the above pictured rum infused and lemon zested Torta di Riso (Italian Rice Cake).
I once more relied on the now reliable Pane di Alfansomura, my whimsically named take on an earlier Pane di Altamura. This time the twist was to change out the AP flour for bread flour. A 60/40 mix of Durum/Bread Flour at 70% hydration using the 3 stage build of stiff rye levain. One seeded, and for those who may not appreciate them, one without seeds. 2x750g, 1x350g. 450dF, 15 minutes w/steam, 15 minutes more for the baguettes / 18 more for the batards, 2 minutes batard venting.
The alfansomura clan freshly awakened from their retard.
just after scoring and loading.
The oven spring was fabulous on the batards, but surprisingly modest on the baguette.
Two days earlier, I baked another batch of the Hamelman Pain au Levain w/WW, a batard each for our Condo manager and assistant. Just because... Another 2/750g, 1x350g.
alan
Comments
I am sure your loaves were an absolute hit although that rice cake looks incredible. Any chance your wife will share the recipe?
When we lived in Sacramento California, Biba's Italian Restaurant was generally considered one of the finer joints to dine at. Biba Caggiano published the book Northern Italian Cooking in (revised) 1992 from which this is copied (without permission). Biba also had a program on The Learning Channel on American TV for a few years in the mid 90s. Youtube has a few of these programs if you care to take a peek. Unfortunately, I don't think this is in any of those programs posted.
We leave out the citron. The arborio can take as long as 1.5 hours to become creamy and absorb the milk mixture. As with risotto, as the cooking nears the end it is essential to be vigilant with a stirring spoon to ensure that the rice or liquid does not scorch on the bottom of the cooking vessel.
I love rice cake! I am so glad you posted the recipe!
They look so good, the crust is so shiny, i can almost hear the crunch from this side of the world! I'm sure they tasted amazing!
Why do you think the spring was more modest on the baguette?
Ru
I had comparable or even slightly better oven spring with the use of the bread flour vs. regular AP flour or even all durum flour in the final dough mix on the first two attempts. As with the prior two experiments with this general formula framework, I would assume that the oven spring would carry over to the baguette as well. I was cautious about the blade angle on the batards, but maybe less so on the baguette? I shaped the baguette tighter than before? But I also shaped the batards fairly tight.
And I guess that there is the rub. This is what separates folks like me from real seasoned bakers - the analysis of why this was as such. I can make SWAGs about it, but I really can't get to the heart of the issue so easily. Had there been a consistency across all of the three breads in this bake, as there were in the first two bakes - or for that matter the majority of my bakes, then I might have been able to better ID a resolution. But I'm going to go with the idea that perhaps the blade should have been at a more severe angle as I scored the baguettes. There, that settles that. Or not.
BTW, it isn't as though I'm unhappy with the outcome. Just head scratching as to why there wasn't the same level of oven spring.
thanks, alan
Hmm... well i guess you're just going to have to keep baking till we figure this one out! That's the great thing about bread, its so easy to find an excuse for another loaf :)
I can absolutely see why you're not unhappy with this bake, the loaves looked terrific.
Happy baking Alan!
low cal low carb, hooch infused, rice cake is just the best but the apprentice is killer for sure - she looks so devil may care that Hobbes might just be gone from home for awhile.
Can't help but want a couple slices of bread and cake though. You folks must be putting on the pounds for all the right reasons!
Well done and happy baign Alan.
picture is calorie and carb free. It is the actual cake that can be a problem!
As stated before on TFL, my two favorite foods - the base of my personal food pyramid are breads and ales. A bit of a problem, somewhat solved by keeping the potatoes, rice and pasta in check, although I do love all three. No fast food, minimal junk foods around the house (although I'm still hooked on milk and Oreos before bed), no sodas or sugar drenched drinks, etc. We both exercise and have good genes, all to our advantage.
The arborio for the rice cake did get us to break out a risotto last night for dinner. That was a dangerous proposition.
thanks, alan
Thanks for sharing that amazing looking rice cake....and the bread looks as usual perfecto!
Your old lady looks amazing for her age too!
Regards,
Ian
they are surprised and I say that we give her botox injections. Yes, the rice cake is amazing - and dangerous to be around. Most everything in that Northern Italian Cooking cookbook by Biba is really good. With all of the cookbooks tucked away elsewhere, this one has always occupied prime shelf space in our kitchen.