Bread for Life!
Hello my Foodie Friends! Guess what weekend this is! Yes its Valentine’s Day weekend and I know the quickest way to someone’s heart is great cooking! I had some friends stop in and talk about how they love to bake bread together in their LeCreuset French oven. It reminded me of my daughter Aubrey volunteering to help Rabbi Jonathan bake bread and how much fun she had! When you are working together to bake or cook there is a bond and a kind of excitement that you don’t receive when you work by yourself. When you are working side by side you are talking, laughing and working towards a common goal. I listen to my customers and some just hate to cook or bake or even help out and that is ok. I do wonder though how I would have gotten through my teen years without helping mom out in the kitchen! She would work and answer my questions about the biggest secret in the universe, women! I know there are many who don’t like Valentine’s Day but my mom loved it! She would bake cookies and bread like it was Christmas! Now there were three boys in my family and every year we would give her a card and a present. Recently my sister passed me some of my mom’s personal items that she kept in perfect condition. One of them was a beautiful Valentine’s Day card from me! It full of beautiful words that I underlined about her, while adding my own thoughts to the card. I was proud that I had done that because when you lose someone you always feel like you could have done more and said more. So when you get a card and some flowers and maybe some chocolate for your wife, husband or sweetheart, please remember your mom, because she’ll appreciate it! Now stop down to Compliment to the Chef at 46 Marion Avenue and pick up your own French or Dutch oven and bake some love with your sweetheart! Have a wonderful holiday and remember my Foodie Friends “Life Happens in the Kitchen!” PS Did any of you ever call it Valentimes Day?
Take Care,
Paula and John
Olive Parmesan Bread
INGREDIENTS
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup finely grated, divided
7 ounces Kalamata olives, halved
Olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 F.
In a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook attachment, combine flour, yeast, salt and 1 cup water. Mix briefly. Once combined, add remaining water, 1 cup grated Parmesan and olives. Mix until dough is thoroughly combined. It should not be sticky.
Form the dough into a round with your hands, and place in a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil and dusted with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until tripled in size and dough springs back when touched, about 3 – 4 hours.
Brush the Dutch oven with olive oil or butter. Place dough round in the center. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover and bake 30 minutes.
Reduce heat to 375°F. Bake until golden brown and internal temperature is 200°F.
Allow the bread to rest in the Dutch oven for 20 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack before slicing.
RECIPE CREATED FOR
Dutch Oven
MAIN INGREDIENT
Bread
COOK TIME
Over 2 hrs.
SERVING SIZE
10+