K.C. Fair Bread Making Winner Dee Turk of Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Fleischmann’s Yeast “Bake for the Cure” Baking Contest Dee Turk from Bakersfield, 1st place, Kern County Fair
Spartan Peasant Bread Ingredients 1 tablespoon + 2 Teaspoons of Fleischmann’s Instant Dry Yeast6 1/2 cups unbleached all- purpose flour (plus a little for dusting )
3 cups warm water+ 1 ¼ cups
1 tablespoon regular sea salt (non iodine salt)
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bulb (not 1 clove, the whole head) of garlic
2 teaspoons fresh Thyme leaves
Instructions 1. Measure the flour by scooping,( not spooning) into a dry measuring cup. Place the flour into a bowl of a large stand mixer. Add salt and yeast.
2. In a medium saucepan on the stove, add the olive oil, and the cloves of garlic. Sauté lightly over medium heat till the garlic starts to get toasty, stirring, and turning the garlic over repeatedly. Do not let the garlic burn, or get too toasted as it will make the garlic bitter. Remove garlic from pan, and add the thyme, and sauté till toasty. Remove from the pan. Chop the garlic finely, and the thyme leaves as well. Make sure you are only using the leaves, not any stems.
3. In the large mixing bowl that contains the flour, yeast and salt, add the oil from the pan. and the 3 cups warm water. It should be very warm, but not hot to the touch. Turn mixer on to low to combine for about 30 seconds, then turn on to medium, slowly add the chopped garlic, and the thyme and beat for 2 minutes.
4. With a bit of olive oil, grease a bowl large enough to contain the dough as it doubles. Add the dough, and turn the dough over to cover with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for 2 hours.
5. Remove from fridge, with oiled hands grab the dough into two equal portions. Shape each portion into round loaves, and place apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle some flour over the two loaves, and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour.
6. While the dough is sitting, put a large cookie sheet on the lowest oven rack and turn on the oven to 450F. The oven must be very hot. When the hour is up, take a sharp knife and score each loaf by making a center line, then two lines on each side of the center.
7. Have the 1 ¼ cups of hot water ready. Place the parchment lined pan with the loaves onto the next lowest rack. Using oven mitts, quickly pour the water onto the all ready hot cookie sheet that is on the lowest rack. Shut the oven door. Let the bread bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and hollow sounding. Remove from the pan and place on a rack to cool.
We love to dip the bread into extra virgin olive oil, and as the Greeks would say Kalee orexi! (which means good appetite!)
