Lets talk bread.

Everyone loves bread right? If there's anything that will make a meal that much better its bread. I've not had much experience with baking bread, but since I'm starting baking and pastry classes next month I figure it's time to start experimenting. To begin my journey I researched and added the recipes that appealed to me. 

Now I just need to decided which one to make. 

Give me your votes in a comment by tomorrow night and I'll whip it up!  
So, this week I will begin my bread making journey with you by my side. Let the baking begin. 

Brioche

Ingredients

• 
  
• 1 ounce (2 packed tablespoons) compressed yeast, or 3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk (cold if using compressed yeast, warm if using active dry yeast)
• 8 large egg yolks
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, as needed, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, softened, plus more 
for the bowl and brioche tins
• 1 large egg, well beaten with a hand blender

Directions

• 1. If using compressed yeast, crumble the yeast finely into the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Add the sugar and let stand until the yeast gives off some moisture, about 3 minutes. Whisk well to dissolve. Add the cold milk and yolks and whisk to combine.
  
  If using active dry yeast, sprinkle the yeast over 1/3 cup warm, 105° to 115°F (40° to 46°C) milk in a small bowl. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve. Add to the mixer bowl along with 1 tablespoon cold milk, the sugar, and yolks, and whisk to combine.
• 2. Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit with the paddle attachment. With the machine on low speed, add 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Mix until the mixture forms a sticky, batter-like dough that clings to the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium. Beat in the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time, letting each addition become absorbed before adding another. Remove the paddle attachment.
• 3. Using a spatula, scrape the dough into the center of the bowl. Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Knead the dough on medium-high speed until it is gathers into a ball around the hook. Return to medium speed and knead, adding tablespoons of the remaining flour, until the dough is smooth but feels tacky and sticks to the bottom of the bowl, about 3 minutes.
• 4. Generously butter a medium bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape into a ball. Turn the ball, smooth side down, in the bowl, and turn right side up to lightly coat the ball in butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 5. Butter twelve 3 1/2-inch-wide brioche tins. Carefully turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, but do not punch it down—its texture should remind you of a feather-filled pillow. Cut the dough into 12 equal portions. (If you have a kitchen scale, each portion will weigh 2 ounces.)
• 6. One at a time, shape each portion into a ball on the work surface, taking care not to break the exterior of the dough. To do this, cup both hands around the dough. Carefully turn the dough in your cupped hands to gently shape it into a ball—overhandling will soften the butter too much. Place the dough on its side, with the rough underside facing one side. Lightly dust the side of your hand with flour. Place the side of your hand about 1 inch from the smooth end of the dough. Using the upper part of your hand, including the last finger, move your hand back and forth to cut into the dough, forming a small ball that is attached to the larger portion by a thin strand.

• 7. Transfer the shaped dough to a brioche tin, holding the larger portion in one hand and the small ball in the other, taking care not to break the connection. Place the larger portion of dough in the bottom of the tin. Using your thumb and first two fingers, still holding the small ball of dough, force a hole into the center of the larger portion of dough, reaching all the way down to the bottom of the tin, and stick the smaller ball in the hole. This keeps it from popping off during baking. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. Place the tins on a half-sheet pan. Lightly brush the tops of the brioche with some of the beaten egg, reserving the rest.
• 8. Choose a warm spot in the kitchen for proofing. Slip the half-sheet pan into a tall “kitchen-sized” plastic bag. Place two tall glasses of very hot water near the center of the pan. Wave the opening of the bag to trap air and inflate the bag like a balloon to create “head room,” being sure that the plastic does not touch the sticky dough. Twist the bag closed. Let stand in a warm place until the brioche looks puffy, about 1 hour.
• 9. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (176°C). Remove the glasses from the bag, and then the pan. Lightly brush the tops of the brioche again with the reserved egg. Bake until the brioche are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool in their tins for 5 minutes. Remove the brioche from their tins and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Ciabatta 

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 5 tablespoons warm milk
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water, at room temperature (if using a food processor, use cold water)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 very full cups biga, rested for 12 hours
• 3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Cornmeal

Biga (2 cups)

          1/4 tsp active dry yeast

          1/8 cup warm water

          3/4 cup water at room temperature 

          2 cups unbleached flour

Directions for Biga

Sprinkle yeast onto the 1/4 cup warm water and let stand approximately 10 minutes until creamy.Add rest of water, stir, add flour, one cup at a time and stir.
Mix with wooden spoon for approximately 4 minutes.
Oil a bowl three times as large as the mixture's volume and scrape dough into that bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 8-24 hours in a cool room or until triple in volume. The longer it sits, the more character it develops.
If you let it go too long, it will take on sour overtones similar to sourdough starter as a result of the acidic by-products of yeast metabolism.
If the room is cool enough--60-65 deg. F, 24 hours will yield a nice, mellow-flavored biga.

Directions

1. If making the ciabatta in a stand mixer: Stir the yeast into the milk in a mixer bowl; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the water, oil, and biga and mix with the paddle until blended. Mix the flour and salt, add to the bowl, and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Change to the dough hook and knead for 2 minutes at low speed, then 2 minutes at medium speed. Knead briefly on a well-floured surface, adding as little flour as possible, until the dough is still sticky but beginning to show evidence of being velvety, supple, springy, and moist.

• 
  If making the ciabatta in a food processor: Stir the yeast into the milk in a large bowl; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons of cold water, the oil, and the biga and mix, squeezing the biga between your fingers to break it up. Place the flour and salt in the food processor fitted with the dough blade and pulse several times to sift the ingredients. With the machine running, pour the biga mixture through the feed tube and process until the dough comes together. Process about 45 seconds longer to knead. Finish kneading on a well-floured surface until the dough is still sticky but beginning to show signs of being velvety, supple, moist, and springy.
• 2. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/4 hours. The dough should be full of air bubbles, very supple, elastic, and sticky.
• 3. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces on a well-floured surface. Roll each piece into a cylinder, then stretch each cylinder into a rectangle, pulling with your fingers to get each piece long and wide enough. It should be approximately 10 by 4 inches.
• 4. Generously flour 4 pieces of parchment paper placed on peels or upside-down baking sheets. Place each loaf, seam side up, on a piece of parchment. Dimple the loaves vigorously with your fingertips or knuckles so that they won’t rise too much. The dough will look heavily pockmarked, but it is very resilient, so don’t be concerned. Cover the loaves loosely with damp towels and let rise until puffy but not doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The loaves will look flat and definitely unpromising, but don’t give up; they will rise more in the oven.
• 5. Approximately 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 425ºF and slide your baking stones on the center rack to heat.
• 6. Just before baking the ciabatta, sprinkle the stones with cornmeal. Carefully invert each loaf onto a stone. If the dough sticks a bit to the parchment, just gently work it free from the paper. If you need to, you can leave the paper and remove it 10 minutes later. Bake for a total of 20 to 25 minutes, spraying the oven three times with water in the first 10 minutes. Transfer the ciabatta loaves to wire racks to cool.

Stay tuned for my next post to see how it turns out. 

Happy Baking,

Ashley