Potato Bay Leaf Bread Recipe
Yield: 1 Rnd loafRecipe by luhu.jp
Ingredients:
2 medium: Waxy potatoes, washed
6: Fresh bay leaves,
Water,
White dough **,
Flour, all-purpose
. for shaping,
Flour, whole wheat
. for rising,
Directions:
** See other recipe "Simple, Essential Bread Starters"
Bay leaves decorate this round loaf and subtly infuse it with flavor.
This is a good bread to pair with robust soups and stews.
DIRECTIONS:
Place the potatoes and three of the bay leaves in a small pan and
cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and
simmer 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but still firm
when poked with a fork. Drain and save the cooking water; discard the
bay leaves; let the potatoes cool. Peel the potatoes and cut in a
small dice.
Prepare the white dough, substituting potato cooking water (cooled to
room temperature) for the water in the recipe and adding the diced
potatoes during the final 2 minutes of kneading. Line the bowl with
the remaining bay leaves and place the dough on them for the first
rising.
When the dough has doubled, punch it down and turn out onto a lightly
floured work surface. Reserve the bay leaves. Shape the dough into a
loose, round loaf, cover, and let rest 15 minutes. Rub the whole
wheat flour into a dish towel, thickly coating it so the dough will
not stick to the towel. Line a large, deep bowl double the volume of
the loaf with the towel.
Adding flour to keep the dough from sticking, pound out the loaf into
a disk 1/2 inch thick. Then begin pulling in the edges of the dough
to the center and pressing to seal, turning the dough as you make
your way around the disk. Continue circling the disk until it begins
to tighten into a round loaf. Invert the loaf. Lay the reserved bay
leaves end to end in a triangle on top of the loaf and gently press
them about 1/4 inch into the dough so they will remain in the dough
as it rises. If the leaves are dry and brittle, soak them in water
for a few minutes so they will be easier to work with.
Place the loaf in the bowl, seam side up. Cover with plastic wrap and
let rise 2 1/2 hours, or until almost doubled.
A half hour before baking, preheat the oven to 425
F with a baking
stone in the lower third of the oven and a small pan of water on the
lowest rack. Carefully invert the loaf from the bowl onto the baking
stone. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown,
removing the pan of water after 10 minutes. Test the loaf by tapping
the bottom with your knuckle. If it sounds hollow, its done. Remove
it to a baking rack and let cool completely before slicing. If flour
hides the bay leaves, simply brush it off.
Makes 1 round loaf. ** The Herb Companion -- Oct/Nov 96 **
Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- paul macGregor
Source from luhu.jp
Bay leaves decorate this round loaf and subtly infuse it with flavor.
This is a good bread to pair with robust soups and stews.
DIRECTIONS:
Place the potatoes and three of the bay leaves in a small pan and
cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and
simmer 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but still firm
when poked with a fork. Drain and save the cooking water; discard the
bay leaves; let the potatoes cool. Peel the potatoes and cut in a
small dice.
Prepare the white dough, substituting potato cooking water (cooled to
room temperature) for the water in the recipe and adding the diced
potatoes during the final 2 minutes of kneading. Line the bowl with
the remaining bay leaves and place the dough on them for the first
rising.
When the dough has doubled, punch it down and turn out onto a lightly
floured work surface. Reserve the bay leaves. Shape the dough into a
loose, round loaf, cover, and let rest 15 minutes. Rub the whole
wheat flour into a dish towel, thickly coating it so the dough will
not stick to the towel. Line a large, deep bowl double the volume of
the loaf with the towel.
Adding flour to keep the dough from sticking, pound out the loaf into
a disk 1/2 inch thick. Then begin pulling in the edges of the dough
to the center and pressing to seal, turning the dough as you make
your way around the disk. Continue circling the disk until it begins
to tighten into a round loaf. Invert the loaf. Lay the reserved bay
leaves end to end in a triangle on top of the loaf and gently press
them about 1/4 inch into the dough so they will remain in the dough
as it rises. If the leaves are dry and brittle, soak them in water
for a few minutes so they will be easier to work with.
Place the loaf in the bowl, seam side up. Cover with plastic wrap and
let rise 2 1/2 hours, or until almost doubled.
A half hour before baking, preheat the oven to 425
F with a baking
stone in the lower third of the oven and a small pan of water on the
lowest rack. Carefully invert the loaf from the bowl onto the baking
stone. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown,
removing the pan of water after 10 minutes. Test the loaf by tapping
the bottom with your knuckle. If it sounds hollow, its done. Remove
it to a baking rack and let cool completely before slicing. If flour
hides the bay leaves, simply brush it off.
Makes 1 round loaf. ** The Herb Companion -- Oct/Nov 96 **
Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- paul macGregor
Source from luhu.jp