Thursday, October 7, 2010

VICTORY IS MINE!!!!

I DID IT! I baked bread and it wasn't a total disaster! I started off a little shaky but managed to save my efforts and turn out some pretty darn tasty bread. Woo Hoo! I used the recipe below (Tomato, Basil, & Garlic Filled Pane Bianco) - with a few modifications (some voluntary and some not). I tried to make the recipe in my bread machine initially but then discovered it was more than my little machine could handle, LOL! By the time the kneading process had ended only half the ingredients were mixed. OH CRAP! So, out came the trusty Kitchenaid. The greatest invention EVER! I quickly dumped my half-mixed bread into the bowl, slapped on the bread hook and got back on track. To make matters worse the recipe called for 4 tsp yeast. I had three of those little paper packages of yeast in the cupboard and thought it would be plenty. Then I read the packet - 1/4 tsp in each. DOUBLE CRAP! But then I thought 4 tsp sure did sound like an awful lot of yeast. 1 packet has always been enough yeast for every other bread disaster I have had (LOL). I said, "screw it", and dumped all three in. After about 5 minutes of kneading in the kitchenaid, I turned the dough out. It seemed kind of lumpy but I followed the directions and oiled it, covered it, and put it in a warm place to rise. Rise it did! Beautifully! I formed half into the shape the recipe called for. I filled it with Parmesan,basil and oregano. I had too much going on to pat dry sun-dried tomatoes. Maybe next time. The other half I rolled out onto an oiled pizza pan so that I could make pizza strips like you get in Rhode Island. I let both rise again for about 40 minutes. Then I took the pizza batch and spread it with sauce, sprinkled it with Parmesan and baked it at 350 for a good half hour. When that was done, in went the fancy loaf. Both came out great! Husband, being a Rhode Island native, loved the pizza strips so much I think he fell in love with me all over again! LOL! They really were delicious. They tasted just like the ones you get from Palmieri's! I can't wait to make them again. Oh, and the other loaf tasted good too. LOL! I plan to experiment with fillings in the near future.

ri pizza strips Pictures, Images and Photos

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