My husband and I enjoy bread, especially bread with character. Our mission was to find the most flavorful, attractive, unique, aromatic, and finger friendly bread possible. Our favorite bread is Zingerman’s Paesano bread, which has a crusty exterior, a flavorful, “holey,” chewy inside, and an irresistible aroma. It's especially good shortly after it comes out of the oven. We've been known to buy two loaves just after it comes out of the oven at Zingerman's at 3:00 pm enroute to a friend’s house for dinner and then eating one loaf before we get to our friend’s house!
I was motivated to find a Paesano bread recipe because Zingerman’s Paesano bread is so expensive. A year ago, I set out to research Paesano recipes online along with baking techniques, which I did extensively. Unexpectedly, Paesano bread only calls for four ingredients. As it turns out, the hard part is the baking vessel and baking procedure, which are the key elements to creating a delicious Paesano bread. One disadvantage is that the bread takes about 24 hours to make. During the last year, I've been tweaking the recipe. I have created many different versions of Paesano bread. My family particularly likes my version of Olive Oil Paesano Bread, which is our new favorite bread. Plus, it meets our criteria of being flavorful, attractive, unique, aromatic and finger friendly! The basic recipe includes 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon instant dry yeast, and 1 ½ cups warm water. Stir all ingredients together in a bowl that can be sealed, such as a Tupperware bowl with a sealable lid. You'll have a sticky mess, which is good. Let set for 18 to 24 hours. The lid may pop off in which case just re-seal the container. To bake the bread, place the baking vessel in a preheated 450 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes so that it's really hot and ready to bake the bread. The recommended baking vessel is a Le Creuset 6 ½ quart enamel coated cast iron Dutch oven. Since I don't have one and they cost $300, I use my Pampered Chef stoneware roasting pan with the dome lid. Stoneware can easily crack with extreme temperature changes, so I place my stoneware in the oven and let it get hot as the oven heats to 450 degrees. While the baking vessel is getting hot, generously sprinkle the counter with flour and cornmeal. Gently dump the dough into the floured countertop. With floured fingers, shape into a round or oval loaf depending on the shape of the cooking vessel. Minimal handling of the dough will allow the bread to rise and help create the large holes (air pockets) on the inside of the bread. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes while the baking vessel is heating. NOTE: For Olive Oil Paesano Bread, mix ¼ cup olive oil with 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dried basil, a little crushed black pepper, and a dash of Kosher salt. With floured fingers, gently spread the dough about 3 times the width of the finished loaf. Spread olive oil mixture onto the dough. Gently fold each side over the center third of the loaf. Fold the ends up to seal in the olive oil mixture. If any olive oil escapes, gently brush it on top of the loaf. Lightly sprinkle the loaf with kosher salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes while the baking vessel is heating. Once the baking vessel has heated for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven. Remember that the baking vessel is very hot, so take great care when handling it. Here's the tricky part...gently pick up the bread with floured hands and place into baking vessel. Be careful not to crush or reshape the loaf. Some reshaping may be necessary. Place back in oven and bake with the lid on for 25 minutes. Since there is so much moisture in the dough and since the vessel is so hot, steam will form on the inside of the enclosed baking vessel, which is what creates the crusty exterior and chewy inside. The many hours of fermentation even with a minimal amount of yeast is what creates the large air pockets, also known as “holey” bread in my house. After 25 minutes, remove lid and bake for another 7 minutes. Remove baking vessel from oven. Remove the beautifully golden loaf from the baking vessel and place it on a cooling rack. If you can resist, allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting. This delayed gratification will make it easier to slice the loaf. The aroma builds anticipation. The crunch of each bite is a wonderful contrast to the chewy inside. The kosher salt sprinkled atop the loaf is titillating to the tongue. The olive oil mixture on the inside melts in your mouth with every chew. I can hardly wait to make another batch! I often make this bread as special gifts. While the bread is still warm, I wrap the loaf in a new pretty dish towel tied with ribbon. That way, the bread can cool while maintaining a crusty exterior. The recipients thoroughly enjoy the bread and look forward to their next loaf. In fact, one of my friends was driving home with my freshly made loaves and had to pull over to the side of the road to eat a slice because the aroma was literally driving her crazy! |