# Making Italian bread



## callmaker60 (Jan 24, 2014)

After finally making a pizza dough I like, my next adventure is making Italian bread, I have found many recipe's, and that's my question, why so many recipe's.  One says 2.5 cups of flour, the next one says 3 cups. Then it's some yeast then a full pack of yeast.  I don't understand why the difference in recipe's with the same outcome????


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## Oldvine (Jan 24, 2014)

The recipes won't have the exact same outcome.  Different people recorded the recipes that work the best for them.    The same thing happens with "American" bread recipes.  There are 100s, if not thousands of bread recipes.   It's the baker/cook's job to find the one that works best for them in their kitchen with their cooking/baking equipment.


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## Zagut (Jan 24, 2014)

A half of a cup of flour isn't a big discrepancy. Humidity and other factors can make up that difference.

 I am interested in your pizza dough recipe. 

 I'm always in search of pizza dough that's easy and good.


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## Rocklobster (Jan 24, 2014)

Oldvine said:


> The recipes won't have the exact same outcome.  Different people recorded the recipes that work the best for them.    The same thing happens with "American" bread recipes.  There are 100s, if not thousands of bread recipes.   It's the baker/cook's job to find the one that works best for them in their kitchen with their cooking/baking equipment.


There you have it. Technique and timing is also important...


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 24, 2014)

AND  humidity, altitude, season, temprature in the kitchen....temper of the baker, the oven temperament...


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 24, 2014)

Rocklobster said:


> There you have it. Technique and timing is also important...



Amen!

I would watch a few videos from Jacques Pepin or another great chef and then give it a try and eventually make it your own.

I like Pepin because he keeps it simple, for the home cook.

How to Make Bread | Food & Wine


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## taxlady (Jan 24, 2014)

Aunt Bea said:


> Amen!
> 
> I would watch a few videos from Jacques Pepin or another great chef and then give it a try and eventually make it your own.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the link. I watched the one about forming the bread. Okay, now I understand a bit better why my free form breads always oozed out to far to flat.


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## Roll_Bones (Jan 25, 2014)

For some reason, no matter how hard I try, I cannot duplicate bakery quality bread.
Same with pizza dough.

It comes out good and everyone likes it.  But I am very critical of my results and I am always trying to replicate what an Italian baker can do.  
So far, I have failed in this attempt.


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## bakechef (Jan 25, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> For some reason, no matter how hard I try, I cannot duplicate bakery quality bread.
> Same with pizza dough.
> 
> It comes out good and everyone likes it.  But I am very critical of my results and I am always trying to replicate what an Italian baker can do.
> So far, I have failed in this attempt.



Bread is tricky.  It is more about feel and instinct than the actual recipe in many cases.

Knowing that high hydration doughs will have a more coarse, open crumb like crusty artisan bread and that the finer texture comes from less hydration.  For a high hydration artisan bread the no knead breads produce fantastic results.

I worked on my bread technique for quite a while, and I now know how to make it by feel and sight.  I use my Kitchenaid for the mixing and kneading and can tell just by looking at it, if it's the right hydration.  

Creating steam in the oven and cooking at a high temperature until it is completely baked (190-200 degrees) will insure a nice crusty bread.  

Bread can be intimidating at first but the only way to get good at it is to keep researching and make a lot of it seeing how subtle changes effect the outcome.


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## jennyema (Jan 25, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> For some reason, no matter how hard I try, I cannot duplicate bakery quality bread.
> Same with pizza dough.
> 
> It comes out good and everyone likes it.  But I am very critical of my results and I am always trying to replicate what an Italian baker can do.
> So far, I have failed in this attempt.



Use the NYT no knead bread recipe.  It's foolproof and easy.


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## taxlady (Jan 25, 2014)

bakechef said:


> Bread is tricky.  It is more about feel and instinct than the actual recipe in many cases.
> 
> Knowing that high hydration doughs will have a more coarse, open crumb like crusty artisan bread and that the finer texture comes from less hydration.  For a high hydration artisan bread the no knead breads produce fantastic results.
> 
> ...


Great info BC. Is that in Celsius? 'Cause, it doesn't sound very high for Fahrenheit.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 25, 2014)

taxlady said:


> Great info BC. Is that in Celsius? 'Cause, it doesn't sound very high for Fahrenheit.



It's Fahrenheit.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 25, 2014)

It's the temperature of the bread, not the oven.


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## taxlady (Jan 25, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> It's the temperature of the bread, not the oven.


 D'oh!


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## bakechef (Jan 25, 2014)

As PF said!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 25, 2014)

bakechef said:


> As PF said!



What did I win?!?


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## bakechef (Jan 25, 2014)

my undying admiration!


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