STARTER
1/3 Envelope active dry yeast
-(3/4 teaspoon)
1/3 c Warm water
1/3 c Bread or all-purpose flour
-DOUGH-
2 Envelopes active dry yeast
-(2 1/4 teaspoons each) -or-
2 Cakes compressed yeast (0.6
-ounces each)
1 tb Sugar
1 1/2 c Warm water
3 tb Lard or solid vegetable
-shortening, at room
-temperature (up to 4)
1/2 Batch starter (see above)
1 tb Salt
4 c Bread or all-purpose flour
-(up to 5)
1. Prepare the starter. The day before you plan on baking, dissolve the
yeast in the water in a small mixing bowl. Stir in the flour to obtain a
thick paste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the starter ripen for
24 hours in the refrigerator. Leftover starter will keep for several days
in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
2. Make the dough: Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 3 tablespoons water in a
large mixing bowl. When the mixture is foamy (5 to 10 minutes), stir in the
lard, the remaining water, and the 1/2 batch of starter. Mix well with your
fingers or a wooden spoon. Stir in the salt and the flour, 1 cup at a time,
to obtain a dough that is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the
bowl, but soft enough to knead. The dough can also be mixed and kneaded in
a mixer fitted with a dough hook or in a food processor fitted with the
dough blade.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until
smooth, 6 to 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should be
pliable, but not sticky.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a
warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Punch down
the dough.
5. Form the loaves: Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each out to
form a 14-inch long tube. Divide the tubes between 2 baking sheets with 6
inches space between each. Cover the loaves with dampened cotton dish
towels and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about
1 hour. (The dough can be allowed to rise at a lower temperature – even in
the refrigerator – but the rising time will be 3 to 4 hours.)
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
7. Lay a dampened piece of thick kitchen string or twine (about 1/8 inch
thick) on top of each loaf, running the length of the loaf. Bake until the
breads are lightly browned on top and sound hollow when lightly tapped,
about 30 minutes. Let the loaves cool slightly and remove the strings.
Transfer the breads onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe is from _Miami Spice_ by Steven Raichlen.
Yields
4 Loaves