“THE NY Italian Bread”
For a Dutch oven
Many years ago in Niagara Falls, NY there was a bakery called Trusello Bakery. They made the most wonderful bread and bakery pizza. Trusello’s bread was so good I spent years trying to recreate it and the pizza, and here is the bread for Dutch oven cooking. You can pre-measure portions at home & take it in marked plastic bags for mixing. Mixing should be done in ceramic or glass bowls, as some stainless may taint the bread with a metallic flavor.
Biga – In the morning mix 1/8 tsp active dry yeast in ¼ cup warm water until dissolved (7 min.). Mix in 1/2 cup of flour & let sit for 6 hours between 70 & 85º while you go play. Adjust according to temp as this is where the flavor comes from.
Bread – Add 3/8 tsp yeast to 5oz (minus 1 tsp) water and dissolve. Mix this together with the biga, 1 3/4 cups of flour mixed with ½ rounded Tsp of salt. Mix/knead in the bowl until smooth. It will be sticky. Let rise for 1 hr. until doubled. Punch down & do it again for the second rise. Punch down again and remove from the bowl.
Then make a Boule (round loaf) with floured hands, set it on some cornmeal on a flat surface and cover it with a towel. Preheat a 4 qt. or larger Dutch oven with a trivet until it gets hot (full coals on the bottom). When hot, put a piece of round parchment paper on the trivet and gently add the loaf on to it.. Score the loaf with a knife 1/2 inch deep. Cover & load the top with Hot coals. Bake for 19 minutes. Check for doneness with a tap. Does it sound hollow and look good? Done. Let cool a few minutes.
The process may take 9 hours, but only about an hour of your time. This is great tearing bread. It and anything will make a great meal!
For a Dutch oven
Many years ago in Niagara Falls, NY there was a bakery called Trusello Bakery. They made the most wonderful bread and bakery pizza. Trusello’s bread was so good I spent years trying to recreate it and the pizza, and here is the bread for Dutch oven cooking. You can pre-measure portions at home & take it in marked plastic bags for mixing. Mixing should be done in ceramic or glass bowls, as some stainless may taint the bread with a metallic flavor.
Biga – In the morning mix 1/8 tsp active dry yeast in ¼ cup warm water until dissolved (7 min.). Mix in 1/2 cup of flour & let sit for 6 hours between 70 & 85º while you go play. Adjust according to temp as this is where the flavor comes from.
Bread – Add 3/8 tsp yeast to 5oz (minus 1 tsp) water and dissolve. Mix this together with the biga, 1 3/4 cups of flour mixed with ½ rounded Tsp of salt. Mix/knead in the bowl until smooth. It will be sticky. Let rise for 1 hr. until doubled. Punch down & do it again for the second rise. Punch down again and remove from the bowl.
Then make a Boule (round loaf) with floured hands, set it on some cornmeal on a flat surface and cover it with a towel. Preheat a 4 qt. or larger Dutch oven with a trivet until it gets hot (full coals on the bottom). When hot, put a piece of round parchment paper on the trivet and gently add the loaf on to it.. Score the loaf with a knife 1/2 inch deep. Cover & load the top with Hot coals. Bake for 19 minutes. Check for doneness with a tap. Does it sound hollow and look good? Done. Let cool a few minutes.
The process may take 9 hours, but only about an hour of your time. This is great tearing bread. It and anything will make a great meal!
