In yoga classes I often have thought that all I really need to do is turn everything in the direction it’s not intended to go and that’s the way the pose is suppose to take you . . . when actually the idea is to just breath and stay calm. 

When we first gathered ‘round Ilva’s kitchen table this month there was a lot of laughing and twisting going on as we tried to imagine tying snaky bread dough ropes into lovely uniform knot rolls.  Then I believe there were some snarky remarks about different fats as in lard, crisco, duck fat and I don’t remember what all others were covered.  Considering that I have never had lard in my kitchen, I determined that was the fat I should seek out for making these.  

So shopping for lard:  I went to the Texas brand of Whole Foods, Central Market.  What I learned there was they do not carry lard (because nobody buys it because it’s so unhealthy . . . ok) and fresh yeast is a “seasonal” item (now there they totally lost me; what can possibly be “seasonal” about fresh yeast.  I mean it grows all year and everywhere, come on.)  Alright, no lard, what about duck fat?  “Yes, we have duck fat.”  And that is how I ended up using duck fat and embarking upon my latest love affair (just don’t you be tattling to Dr J, I’m sure he’ll see it soon enough when he does my next cholesterol lab.)  Fresh yeast is not seasonal at Kroger and they also carry lard but I already had duck fat.

This is a seemingly simple bread.  You may look at it and see nothing special in it.  That would be a mistake.   This is one of those classic examples that I love so very much about flour, yeast and water and the alchemy that can take place between your kneading and the heat of the oven.   I’m sure that duck fat played some big part in the very tender crispness that is the crust on these and the very tender crumb inside. 

BBB Pane Di Pasta Tenera Condita

Italian Knot Bread

from Pane: Il piacere di preparare pane by Anna Gennari

half biga:

250 g  normal bread flour

2 g  fresh yeast

135 ml water

Mix the yeast in some of the water.  Mix everything together then and place in your rising container, cover and leave for 15 to 24 hours.

half bread:

250g biga

500g  King Arthur Italian 00 flour

(150g of the 500g was white whole wheat)

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

225-275 ml water, finger warm

(generally 30 seconds in microwave does that)

15 g fresh yeast

25 g extra-virgin olive oil

30 g duck fat

17 g  chestnut honey

17 g salt

Crumble the duck fat into the flours (two flours in for me).

Dissolve yeast in water and mix into flour with duck fat.

Mix together salt, olive oil and chestnut honey and add to the flour mix.  The dough should be mixed to hold together and then the biga added.

Knead the dough until it is smooth and no longer sticky.  Took me about 12 minutes by hand.

Cover and allow to double in size.

Divide in half and divide each half into 6.

Roll each ball into a snake roll.

See Ilva for how to tie the knots.  I’m still not sure.

If I could I come and beat you into trying these, they are just that excellent!  Tying the knots may well tie you in a knot but the basic dough is straight forward.  I made a half recipe twice and would have done them a third but the calendar caught up with me . . . well that and the fact that it’s time for bagels next (BBA Challenge you know)  and I think Lien will be having us over for a sit down at her kitchen table next month.

Bake Bread

Tie it in Knots

Be Happy

This goes to Susan at WildYeast for her weekly Yeast Spotting.  I’ve come to look at the weekly Yeast Spotting as a delightful trip to a Bakery Wonderland!  If you’re not familiar with Susan and Yeast Spotting, it’s explained here.