# Photos of my Italian bread--please look!



## YorkieMominFL (Sep 9, 2005)

I just started learning to bake Italian Bread. Here is a photo:  





http://www.pbase.com/snap2it/cooking_photosPlease let me know what you think!


Thanks, Pamela


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 9, 2005)

*COMPLIMENTI!!!!*
It looks brilliant!!  Did it taste as good as it looks?  Did you do it all by hand, or used bread making machine in the first process?


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## Floridagirl (Sep 9, 2005)

yorki, that looks great!!!!!


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## kadesma (Sep 9, 2005)

Pamela,

Your bread is great. I hope you got to enjoy it, as I'm sure it dissapeared almost before it cooled   Beautiful.
kadesma


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## YorkieMominFL (Sep 9, 2005)

Hi Licia, yes, I did the dough in my bread machine that I have had since 1994 (Welbilt), which I have not used in years until just recently. In July I bought a new Whirlpool range and so I started baking again. I never did like to bake the bread in the machine as it makes a big round loaf. And yes, it really did taste great and thank you for the compliment........as it gives me encouragement !!! My husband says it tastes better than the bakery's!

Floridagirl, thank you for the compliment also! I notice you are from Germany. Many years ago I lived in Frankfurt. I assume you live in FL now and I do to! Where abouts?

By the way, can you all tell me how to post my photo directly with the message?

Pamela


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## YorkieMominFL (Sep 9, 2005)

Thank you "kadesma"!  Actually my husband and I sampled it and are planning to have more with our dinner (meatloaf) which is in the over cooking at this moment!  Since it's just myself and "Grandpa" here, things last longer then they used to when there were growing children around.

Pamela


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 9, 2005)

YorkieMominFL said:
			
		

> Hi Licia, yes, I did the dough in my bread machine that I have had since 1994 (Welbilt), which I have not used in years until just recently. In July I bought a new Whirlpool range and so I started baking again. I never did like to bake the bread in the machine as it makes a big round loaf. And yes, it really did taste great and thank you for the compliment........as it gives me encouragement !!! My husband says it tastes better than the bakery's!
> 
> Floridagirl, thank you for the compliment also! I notice you are from Germany. Many years ago I lived in Frankfurt. I assume you live in FL now and I do to! Where abouts?
> 
> ...


 
I am glad you and your hubby enjoyed your bread!! I hope you will keep on baking and fill the house and neighbour with the lovely aroma!! We must try it, too, we do use our breadmaker as well but yes, like you pointed out, the shape it produces has its limitations and sometimes we would like a different shape, too!!

And as for the picture directly on the message, all you have to do is click on the "insert image icon" (the 5th one from the right directly above the reply message box), then copy and paste the url of the photo!!


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## YorkieMominFL (Sep 9, 2005)

thanks Licia...........I am just testing to see if I can do it!











Pamela


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 9, 2005)

Yeah!! It works Pam!!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



But I think you may want to resize the picture a little bit smaller!!


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## pdswife (Sep 9, 2005)

It looks GREAT!   I wish I could smell it too.  There's nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread!  Welcome to the group!!


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## YorkieMominFL (Sep 9, 2005)

Thanks again Licia...........is this a good size?  U R so helpful!!!

Thanks "pdswife" for the welcome!!!

Pamela

PS  I wish I could send the smell and a slice to all of you!!!


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## Cyberchef (Sep 9, 2005)

Absolutely beautiful!!!  It really is mouth-watering looks every bit as wonderful as the loaves baked by the "masters".  Thanks for sharing and - great work!


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## YorkieMominFL (Sep 9, 2005)

Wow Cyberchef........thanks for the great compliment!!!

Pamela


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 9, 2005)

You're very welcome, Pam!!  Yes! It is much better!!  I can almost smell the bread!!  great job!!


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## bluespanishsky (Sep 9, 2005)

it looks de-lish! nice work!


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## letscook (Sep 10, 2005)

Would you share the recipe.  It looks great!  Thanks


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## YorkieMominFL (Sep 10, 2005)

I will be happy to share this recipe with everyone!  I don't know where I orginally got the recipe......it was on a typed sheet in one of my cooking notebooks from several years ago, so I'm sorry that I don't know who to give credit to. Here it is and I have also added some notes as to what I did when I made the loaf that I showed in the photo:

Ingredients:



3 to 3 ½ Cups All-purpose or Bread Flour (_I used Bread Flour_)

1 Tbls. Sugar

1 Tsp. Salt (_I used Kosher_)

1 Pkg. Yeast, reg. or quick active (_I used Fleischmann’s RapidRise_)

1 Cup Water, VERY warm (_I used around 105º_)

2 Tbls. Vegetable Oil (_I used Olive Oil_) 

Cornmeal

1 Egg White, large (_I used Half & Half_)

1 Tbls. Cold Water



Place all ingredients, except the last 3, into bread machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. After the first kneading, remove from machine and form dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place 1 ½ to 2 hours or until double in size. *Note: Rising time is longer than time for traditional breads, which gives the typical Italian (or French) bread texture. *Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.



Grease large cookie sheet with shortening; sprinkle with cornmeal. _I personally use parchment paper._



Punch down dough and roll into a rectangle, approximate 12 x 18 inches. Roll up tightly, beginning at 12” side to form a loaf. Cut ¼” deep slashes across loaf at 2” intervals with a sharp knife. _“I personally do not cut the slashes until *after *the loaf rises and I am getting ready to bake!”_ Brush loaf with cold water. Let rise uncovered in warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in size.



Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350º or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.



_“I brushed my loaf with Half & Half about 5 minutes before the baking was complete and I also misted cold water into the oven about half way through the baking cycle.”_

Enjoy!

Pamela


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## letscook (Sep 10, 2005)

thanks I will try it.  It looks so good.


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## kitchenelf (Sep 12, 2005)

I need to quit being so afraid to make bread - what's to lose?  Some flour and water and not too much else!!


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## htc (Sep 12, 2005)

Wow, that bread looks beautiful!! Pat yourself on the back.  I can never make pretty looking bread.


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## frankiecb (Sep 15, 2005)

looks really good...sure wish i could have a slice.......


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## subfuscpersona (Oct 2, 2005)

YorkieMominFL said:
			
		

> I just started learning to bake Italian Bread. Here is a link to photos of my 2nd attempt. www.pbase.com/snap2it/cooking_photos Please let me know what you think
> Thanks, Pamela


hi  Pamela - your bread looks ovely and and I thank U for posting pix. However, a pix of the *interior* of the the bread would help all of us. In my experience, the exterior of a bread can look great but the *interior* is what really tells us that the bread has developed and been baked properly.


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## Lyn221 (Oct 2, 2005)

Beautiful bread...looks professionally done!!


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## YorkieMominFL (Oct 9, 2005)

subfuscpersona said:
			
		

> hi Pamela - your bread looks ovely and and I thank U for posting pix. However, a pix of the *interior* of the the bread would help all of us. In my experience, the exterior of a bread can look great but the *interior* is what really tells us that the bread has developed and been baked properly.



Thanks _subfuscpersona!  _That loaf is long gone, in fact I have made several more loaves since that post. I will be sure to post a photo of the *interior* the next time I bake one!

Pamela


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## lindatooo (Oct 10, 2005)

When are you sending me some?

2


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## pckouris (Oct 17, 2005)

Pamela: I just wondered what recipe you used. And I noticed it was a baggette and wondered if you used a baggette pan. Also when you took the dough out of the bread maker did you let it rise first, then cut it into two? And then let rise again? Did you coat the top with water or egg wash? What was the oven temp? And time? And did you use water spray or ice cubes in the oven? Stuff like that. Did the crust come out crispy? How did you do that?
Thanks for the info. The bread looked great!
pck


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## pckouris (Oct 17, 2005)

Pam: Oh, I have found the recipe on page two. I missed it the first time. Let me look it over and see what I cn do here.
Will let you know.


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## YorkieMominFL (Oct 18, 2005)

Hey Pete...........this is too strange!  I just read your post a few minutes ago and I just happen to be making a loaf of this bread at this very moment!!!  Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Pamela


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## pckouris (Oct 19, 2005)

Pam: 
   No, no more questions. I read your directions and they are clear. The only thing I am doing differently is making three baggettes insead of one large loaf. And, I will take the dough out of the machine; kneed the dough; and form three baggettes. Put them on a sheet pan with corn meal and let them rise. When they do I will slice the tops and coat them and put them into the oven. (Without a second rise.)
   I will to see how this little "system' works. I want to see what kind of bread this produces. 
   I am also purchasing baggette pans of different sizes for my bread so they won't spread out and remain nice and tall. This will make a lot of difference.
   I use a pan with ice cubes at the beginning. I like a nice crusty crust. But I would like to get more bubbles (air holes) in the bread and am trying to find out how you do that.
   We'll talk again.
   Will try again after this hurricane goes by!
pk


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