Baking, Tuscan Bread
I've been baking a lot recently. In the last two weeks I've made white dinner rolls, Tuscan bread, buttermilk cinnamon rolls, French bread, biscotti, and French macaroons (macarons). Everything was, at least, acceptable. My Tuscan bread was pulled a little early - 2 more minutes in the oven would have been perfect. Two of my French loaves split lengthwise and tore open, but the biscotti and macarons were excellent. I'll focus this post on the Tuscan boules.
Tuscan bread is made with no salt, so it lacks a certain flavor most bread eaters are used to. It doesn't have the wide gaping air holes that French breads have, but it has a distinct cooked flour taste. The crust turns a nice orange brown color. Many people complain about Tuscan bread. The lack of salt is a big turn off, but part of the aversion may have to do with how the bread is made. Recipes go all over the board here. Some use a yeast starter, and additional yeast in the bread mix, and some don't even use a starter. I looked for an authentic recipe, and ended up turning to my trusted bread companion: The Bread Makers Apprentice (For those amateur bakers who don't have this book -- GO GET IT). I found concepts I didn't see anywhere else.They use a flour paste. The major complaint with Tuscan bread is lack of flavor. Most standard recipes taste like lifeless flour, but the recipe I tried mixes boiling water with the bread flour. The shock of heat cooks the flour - this imparts a roux like smell to the paste. Then you let the paste sit at room temperature for 24 hours. This resting lets the flavors develop a little - you are not trying to collect natural yeast. From here it looks like a typical recipe, though it has the addition of a little olive oil. When the bread is cooked, you can, just barely, smell the olive oil. It makes a great addition to the recipe.
Is it on par with French bread? No, not even close, but for people who like bread, or those with low salt diets, this is a great alternative. Many Italian recipes call for Tuscan bread, the lack of slat, and neutralness to the bread help to not overpower the dish. Ribolitta and pappa al pomodoro are two soups that showcase the difference bread can make as a core soup ingredient.
I'm going to make a small alteration to the recipe and see if I can develop a little more flavor without taking away the essence of a Tuscan bread. I'll come back with new pics and news on the second attempt.
If you want the recipe, I can email it to you.
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The pictures are truly appetite inducing. The bread turned out perfect!
I would love the recipe for tuscan bread and any tips you may have for making it!! thank you.
Greg.