Bread Machine (157 page)

1
¹
/
₂
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES

For the pâte fermentée:

¹
/
₂
cup water

1
¹
/
₄
cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Pinch of sea salt

¹
/
₂
teaspoon SAF yeast
   or 1 teaspoon bread machine yeast

For the dough:

1
¹
/
₈
cups water

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1
¹
/
₂
teaspoons SAF yeast
   or 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

30 pitted black olives (don’t need to be perfect whole olives)

One 2-ounce tin flat anchovy fillets in oil, chopped, 1 tablespoon of the oil reserved

To make the
pâte fermentée
starter, place the starter ingredients in the bread pan. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. Set a kitchen timer for 10 minutes. When the timer rings, press Pause and set the timer again for 10 minutes. Let the starter rest for 10 minutes (the
autolyse
). When the timer rings, press Start to continue and finish the Dough cycle. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Gently deflate the spongy starter, and let it sit in the bread machine for 3 to 12 hours, deflating it about every 4 hours. (If you are making the starter ahead of time, remove it from the machine at this point and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. Bring to room temperature before making the dough.)

To make the dough, place all the dough ingredients in the pan with the starter. (You don’t have to wash out the pan from the starter.) Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. Between Knead 1 and Knead 2, press Pause and add the olives and anchovies with the 1 tablespoon of oil. Press Start to continue the cycle. The dough will be moist and smooth, but flaccid.

Line an 18-by-12-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Immediately remove the bread pan and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half. With a rolling pin, roll a piece of the dough into a freeform 8-by-10-inch rectangle and place it on the baking sheet. Lay your hand gently on the dough with your fingers spread apart. With the tip of a sharp knife, make four cuts into the dough between your fingers through to the baking pan, but not extending all the way to the edge of the pan. Roll out the second
fougasse
, place it on the baking sheet leaving 2 inches between the two
fougasses
, and slash as for the first. Cover gently with a clean tea towel and let rise at room temperature until puffy, about 30 minutes.

Twenty minutes before baking, place a baking stone on the lowest rack of a cold oven and preheat it to 425°F.

With the rolling pin, gently roll over the surface of the
fougasses
once to deflate them slightly; pull open the slits if needed. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Slide the breads onto a rack to cool. Eat warm or at room temperature.

GRAPE SCHIACCIATA COFFEE CAKE       
Makes one 14-inch coffee cake

T
his most famous Italian sweet flatbread is made at
vendemmia,
the autumn wine grape harvest, using fresh-picked wine grapes and liberally sprinkled sugar and crushed aniseed. Many wine country households cultivate a few backyard vines next to their fig trees, just for baking purposes.
Schiacciata con l’Uva
can be eaten for breakfast or tea as a coffee cake instead of toast, bagels, or a croissant. This is my California version.

1
¹
/
₂
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES

For the dough:

¹
/
₃
cup milk

¹
/
₃
cup water

1 large egg

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons raw sugar, preferably, or granulated sugar

1
¹
/
₄
teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons SAF yeast
   or 2
¹
/
₂
teaspoons bread machine yeast

For the grape topping:

²
/
₃
cup raw sugar, preferably, or granulated sugar

1
¹
/
₂
teaspoons aniseed, crushed

1
¹
/
₂
pounds (about 3 cups) small red or black seedless grapes, stemmed

¹
/
₄
cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

To make the dough, place the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough ball will be sticky and just hold its shape.

While the dough is rising, com bine the sugar and aniseed for the topping in a small bowl and set aside.

Brush a 14-inch pizza pan with olive oil. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Immediately remove the bread pan and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using the heel of your hand, press the dough to flatten it. Roll the dough out in a circle, then lift it onto the pan and gently pull and press it into a circle to fit the pan. Shape a
¹
/
₂
-inch rim around the edge of the crust. Brush with olive oil.