Sun-Dried Tomato and Parmesan Bread

Today is a beautiful and warm Thanksgiving Day here in Minnesota!  We usually celebrate Thanksgiving at my parent’s house, but this year they’re with my brother Steve and his family in Chicago.  We’ll miss them but we’re excited to spend the afternoon gorging ourselves at Troy’s sister Tracy’s house.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays…it’s great day to reflect on all the blessings in our lives and to eat loads of amazing food at the same time!

A couple years ago, Melis and I were on a bread baking (aka thigh enlarging) kick.  My friend Kristina introduced us to the recipes from the “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” cookbook.  Once we started baking, we couldn’t stop.  We made plain artisan loaves, cinnamon rolls, ten-grain bread and our favorite: Sun-Dried Tomato and Parmesan Bread.  Our bread adventure lasted about a month and in that time, Melis, Troy and I each gained at least 5 pounds.  It was a very dark and delicious time. :)

Don’t let my tale of gluttony turn you off to this delicious bread.  Use some self control and ENJOY!

Sun-Dried Tomato and Parmesan Bread

From “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”, shared by Kristina DeNucci

Makes 1 loaf

• 1 pound of pre-mixed dough (master recipe below)
• Olive oil for brushing the loaf (I like to use the oil that the sun-dried tomatoes are in)
• ½ cup oil packed, sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (use the good stuff…it’s worth it)
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Cornmeal for pizza peel (or parchment)

On a flour dusted surface, roll out dough into a ¼ inch thick rectangle.  Brush dough with olive oil.  Sprinkle surface with basil and oregano.  Scatter the sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the dough. Top with the grated cheese.  Starting from the short end, roll the dough into a log and gently tuck the ends under to form an oval loaf.  Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal covered pizza peel or piece of parchment for 1 hour.  Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450°, with a baking stone placed on the lowest rack and an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf.  DO NOT USE GLASS, it will shatter.  Right before putting bread in the oven, brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with more herbs and slash parallel cuts across the loaf, using a serrated bread knife.  Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Quickly but carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water from the tap into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door to trap the steam.  Bake loaf for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.  Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

Artisan Free-Form Loaf Dough Master Recipe

Makes four 1-pound loaves

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 ½ tablespoons granulated yeast
• 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
• 6 ½ cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour, using the scoop and sweep method (don’t press the flour into the dry measuring cup, just scoop it up and sweep the top level with a knife or spatula).

Warm the water to 100°.  Add the yeast and salt to the water in a 5 quart container.  Mix in the flour; kneading is unnecessary.  Add all the flour at once.  Mix with a wooden spoon, stand mixer or food processor until everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches; this will take just a few minutes to do.  Do not knead.  Loosely cover with a lid, allow to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, approximately 2 hours depending on room temperature.  Refrigerate until ready to use. 

To make a plain free-form artisan loaf, dust the surface of the dough with flour then cut off a grapefruit size ball of dough with a serrated knife.  Gently stretch the surface of the ball of dough around to the bottom, rotating as you go.  The process should take 30 to 60 seconds.  Place the round loaf on a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or piece of parchment.  Allow to rise for 40 minutes.  Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450°, with a baking stone placed on the lowest rack and an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf.  DO NOT USE GLASS, it will shatter.  Right before putting bread in the oven, dust the top with flour and slash a design (cross, tic tac toe pattern or scallops) into the top of the loaf.  With a quick forward jerking motion, slide the loaf onto the preheated baking stone.  Quickly but carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water from the tap into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door to trap the steam.  Bake loaf for about 30 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.  Cool on a rack, slice and eat.  Store remaining dough in the refrigerator and use within 14 days.

ENJOY!
~Julie :)