My New Daily Bread
PR Italian
Italian Bruchetta & White Bean Soup
Last night I made a double batch of Peter Reinhart's Italian Bread with Biga. I think I did a review of this bread a short time ago so I won't bother with the formula now. My daughter told me I had to make this bread every day from now on. She was quite emphatic so I'll have to put it on the short list. This Italian has such a nice flavor it takes you by surprise. I must say the after taste is my favorite in this style.
So what does one do with 4 loaves of delicious Italian bread? Make Bruchetta!! The tomatoes are ripe and plentiful now and all the herbs are in full swing so the time is right for a big batch. I discovered a new (for me) Balsamic vinegar made from figs the other day. I decided to try that instead of the usual dark and heavy variety I otherwise use. The result was a slightly sweet yet tart dressing that we all loved.
A few Months ago JMonkey turned me on to a great soup cookbook by Sally Sampson called Souped Up. He said at the time he thought it was the best in the genre and I have to agree. The White Bean with Basil above was delicious as has been everything I have tried in the book. I have tried maybe a dozen out of 100 very nice recipes. It's on Amazon and inexpensive. I have given 4 copies away so far to family members.
I baked these on a sheet pan without a stone from just barely up to temp. I forgot to turn the heat down for a while so the tops got a little too brown first but they are still fine.
Eric
Comments
Eric,
Looks great to me! I'll have to go check out that book because soup season is arriving. A friend of mine and I were just talking about it yesterday, how we love soup with slices of fresh bread (I was trying to convince her of the virtues of sourdough bread). I lent C & C to another friend, is the recipe in there?
Jane
Jane (good mornig) Eric posted the recipe some time back and can be found here.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/8437/pr039s-italian-biga
I'm with you. I'm going to check into that soup book.
Larry
Thanks Larry. I took a look on Amazon.fr for the book and found a used copy for 99 cents, so it comes to 4 euros with shipping. I'll get in at the end of September. There are a bunch of books called Souped Up, so make sure you get the Sally version.
Soup and Italian bread is on the horizon!
Jane
I don't pretend to understand how things get priced at Amazon but this book is a steal IMHO. I've been cooking a long time and soup has always been a lot like making stocks only more concentrated for me. With this book for the first time I learned how to start a good soup and build the flavor simply. Sally uses only common ingredients found everywhere.
I have always judged a new restaurant by the quality of the soup. Now I can stand that same critical evaluation myself. Lol
Eric
Hi Eric, you should be getting commission from Amazon! I ordered the book too - have you totalled the number of TFL members who took your recommendation? Also wanted to thank you for inspiring me to try the Italian bread from BBA. Weavershouse and I both had very lively biga(s?) and I wondered whether you did too? The dough was a delight to work with and easy to shape. Oh dear, another one for the list of favorites, A.
Jane,
I got the recipe from BBA. Larry has linked my review which has it also but brief. I don't have C&C so I can't say.
Today I am making Leeks and Mushroom soup which is just killer good!
The soup discussion is slightly off topic but it gives us a reason to make a crusty loaf of bread.
Eric
Eric,
Fantastic looking loaf. I hadn't thought about Bruchetta, but now that it's getting cooler and my tomatoes are finally in their prime, it might be time ....
I made a bit pot of the white bean with basil over the weekend. I think that's got to be my favorite -- though if you still have corn in season in your area, definitely try the fresh corn with basil. Unbelievably tasty.
We like corn, especially if it's a little caramelized or roasted. I'll have to try that one. The cold soups were great earlier when it was hot also. We have tomatoes everywhere so I'm looking for ways to use them while they are fresh.
Eric
What a delicious dinner. I've put the book on hold at the library. She also has a cookie book that I requested along with ones on dips, burgers, recipes using warehouse quantities, and dog treats that I did not request.
Marni
Another great bread, Eric, and (bonus!) the soup book. My library has it, so I don't have to wait long to have a look. From the sound of those recipes, I'll probably want to order it, too.
Carol
For those who are interested, my review of Souped Up! can be found here. I also included two soup recipes from the book: Chicken with Rosemary and Split Pea with Smoked Turkey and Cream.
I have a folder stuffed with your posts. I copied this one too and if I didn't have Susan's SD rising I'd start it tonight. Looks sooo good. Maybe I will start it tonight....I found some freezer space. weavershouse
That's a sweet thing for you to say Weavershouse. I'm really still a rookie baker in terms of time. If anything I'm the poster-boy for how much one can learn in this friendly environment, in a short time. Thanks for your kind comment!
Eric
weavershouse, I fell asleep in my chair after lunch the other day (senior thing) and when I woke I knew I had to make the Italian bread Eric had posted. I have made only sourdough loaves for ages and I had forgotten how rampant yeasted doughs can be - I'm used to waiting around and this took off in a hurry. The biga was crawling out of the bowl this morning, not sure whether that was typical. Lovely loaves, what my grandaughters call "soft bread" as opposed to crusty sourdough. I made pasta for them tonight and they mopped up the yummy sauce with bread, along with their favorite olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip. The crumb was open but not hugely holey, and I was very careful when shaping the batards not to degas too much. So put me down as a member of the Eric fan club! A.
I took a nap today after spending the morning with my grandchildren. Whew, they make me tired.
Anyway, I ended up making Eric's Italian. I love it and I know my family will. It was fun using a biga and yeast for a change. My biga was wild and crazy too. I took up too much space in David's post about Susan's SD and I don't want to take up too much of Eric's but if you get time go see how I goofed up on my baking yesterday. All ended up well though.
I sure wish you could get someone to help you post pictures Annie. I'm sure you're making great bread. weavershouse
Hi weavershouse, so glad the "swapped" breads all turned out well. I have decided I don't multi-task well with bread - I've had some less than spectacular loaves when I have tried.
I was interested to read that your biga was so abundant too. I had the same thing happen with pate fermentee and I know that my refrigerator is at 40* which I would have expected to slow it down. I am so happy with the Italian bread; I had one of the girls here today (taught her to knit) and our sandwiches were great. Next time I will use my stone and maybe get better oven spring. I was in such a rut with the sourdough, which I love, but this was a nice change of pace. I'm sure my neighbors would love it too, so I have an excuse to keep trying. Yes, I hang my head in shame when newbies toss up beautiful pictures and I'm still failing. I was hoping Floyd would come to visit his parents and take a ferry over to the island to make it all clear to me - but summer is over. If you ask Floyd to send me your email I'll send you some pictures just so you know I really do bake! A.
The crumb looks great and bruchetta and soup look delicious. We eat soup at least a couple of times a week and I'm always looking for new ideas so I'll order Souped Up by Sally Sampson.
Please tell me about the fig balsamic vinegar and who makes it. It sounds very interesting.
Thanks,
Howard
Howard,
It's called White Balsamic Fig Infused Vinegar by Acessi. They have a number of other flavors also. This is the first time I have used white balsamic infused with anything and it's so tasty in the application I used it in I think I'll take another look at the others also. I found it at an upscale food store but this brand is well distributed.
I think you will enjoy Souped Up. Hey for the price if you learn anything it's a great value! I suspect that when these copies are gone it will be hard to find and that's a shame. Thanks again for your kind words Howard.
Eric
I'll definitely look for the Acessi vinegars, especially the fig infused vinegar. I really like figs. I just made a quart of fig jam using fresh figs, (1 lb. of cadotta and 1 lb. of Mission figs). It's really terrific made from fresh figs. If you ever make the jam you can add either cognac or port wine (the alchohol evaporates as you thicken the jam) along with orange or lemon zest and that, as Emerald says, really kicks it up a few notches. If, in the future, you decide to make jam and need a recipe let me know.
I'll order, "Souped Up", today just to make certain I get a copy. Much appreciated!
Howard -
Howard,
I would love to see the recipe for fig jam. Never made anything like that but it sounds wonderful. I suppose where you live those things are local produce. I'll have to dig around and see if I can find a couple kinds of figs. Thanks!
Eric
I just made 17 jars of fig jam, half were black fig with Bourbon vanilla and half were white figs with lemon and cinnamon. It's one of the easiest jams to make. I mixed it this time so as no to have chuncks. Sometimes I leave the pieces. It's one of our favorite jams.
Jane
This is a modified version of a recipe that Sylvia and Betty (Paddyscake) posted. I believe the original recipe, which did not include the cognac or orange/lemon zest was taken from Ball Blue Book of Canning. You can proportionately reduce this recipe. For example I had 2 pounds of figs and made about a quart of fig jam. I used port wine and grated orange zest and it came out tasting terrific. I read a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine which calls for cognac. Here's one that should produce good results.
2 quarts of fresh figs (about 5 lbs.)
6 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cognac (or good quality port wine may be substituted)
3 Tablespoons freshly grated orange (or lemon) zest
To prepare the whole figs, cover the figs with boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain, stem and chop the figs into small pieces.
Make a simple syrup by combining 6 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup cognac (or port wine in place of the cognac), 3 tablespoons of grated orange (or lemon) zest in a large sauce pot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Add the chopped figs and cook, over medium heat, until thick. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Toward the end of the cooking cycle, when the sauce is just beginning to thicken you may wish to take a potato masher and mash the fig mixture down to eliminate any large chunks of fig...or you may just leave them.
When jam has thickened, add 1/4 cup lemon juice and cook 1 minute longer.
Immediately pour the jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/3 inch of head spce. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath.
EDIT: Makes about 5 pints
Howard - St. Augustine, FL
Thanks Howard.
I'll have to try that.
Eric
Amazon might be out of copies soon thanks to this post and j monkey.
Howard, your fig jam sounds so good. I can't imagine where I'd find 5lbs of figs for less than my weeks grocery money. I'll be looking though. How long are figs in season?
Richelle's blackbery/cinnamon/nutmeg jam sounds good too. I'm a jam/jelly addict.
weavershouse
I asked the produce manager if he had ever seen figs in the store. He said he thought they had had them around the holidays in a decorative circle for parties not other than that. I haven't given up yet.
Eric