Plain talk about food: Plain talk about bread

For a long time, I have felt that we need to get back in touch with the miracle of yeast, the smell of bread dough and the sheer joy of making bread.
Today, referring to bread as “homemade” is rapidly changing to “handcrafted” or “artisan” breads.
Many quality restaurants now have an artisan baker in their kitchens — one who turns out loaves of bread in the manner of a fine jeweler. Breads of shapes, textures and colors that have been crafted with great thought and creativity, using only the true ingredients — flour, yeast, salt and water — are now appearing on restaurant tables everywhere.
I came across this ad recently on an Australian website, placed by an organic bakery:
“Artisan Baker Wanted with aptitude and attitude; a big heart, lively mind and desire to charm the people with the work of your hands.”
This ad could have been written by the Santa Cruz Mountain Gourmet Dinner Club about charter member Bill Franzosa, a broker with Thunderbird Real Estate who has all of the above attributes.
When Bill says “I’ll bring the bread,” we are assured of a special handcrafted treat. The following is Bill’s story in his own words:
I grew up in the suburbs of Boston. One of my earliest memories was taking turns with my sister and brothers cranking the handle of my mother’s bread pail. We would make french, cinnamon twist or anadama (a classic bread with cornmeal and molasses).
When I moved to California for college, my mother gave me a tin recipe box with her favorite recipes for my “survival.” Those three bread recipes were included.
In 1981, I moved to the San Lorenzo Valley — which reminded me of New Hampshire and Cape Cod, where my family would spend summer vacations. This beautiful valley seemed to be the place to raise my family.
Regular family dinners have always been important to me. As my family grew, I encouraged my five children to help in our kitchen, and they all enjoyed taking turns mixing bread dough in the bread pail.
Now a single “empty nester,” joining the Gourmet Dinner Club seemed like a great way to meet new friends and share some dinners together. I was soon pleasantly amazed at how many members enjoyed my bread-making.
These last few years, I have had fun experimenting with sourdough, focaccia and an oatmeal stout beer bread whose creamy texture and taste is simply “stoutstanding.”
My mother’s bread pail is now simply a conversation piece, replaced by a Kitchen Aid mixer, but I can always rely on her basic french bread recipe. It is quick and easy to make. I use this to make loaves, rounds, baguettes, grilled flatbread and even pizza dough. Try it!
For other great bread ideas, refer to “The Bread Bible” by Rose Levy Beranbaum and “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at cz****@sb*******.net.
RECIPE
Dorothea’s Basic French Bread
(makes two loaves)
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups flour
½ cup warm water
2 packages yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
In a small bowl, mix the warm water, yeast and sugar and set aside.
In a large bowl or heavy-duty mixer, add the hot water, salt, oil and 2 cups of flour.
Mix at low speed until blended. Add the yeast mixture and about 3 or 4 more cups of flour. Once the ingredients start to form a dough, mix at medium speed for 5 minutes (or turn out on a lightly floured table and knead for 10 minutes). The dough should be stiff and a little tacky but not sticky. Add more flour or water as needed.
Place the dough in large, lightly oiled bowl, mist the top with oil and cover with plastic. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
Turn the dough out on a lightly floured table. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a round or loaf. Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet, mist the top with oil and cover lightly with plastic. Let the loaf rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees for another 30 minutes more.
Allow to cool before slicing.