Thursday, March 4, 2010

Fallin' for Mafalda

This is one of those recipes from my must do list. I saw it in a magazine called La Cucina Italian. I couldn't find the recipe on the website for some reason. Maybe the web site was created after this particular article was published. In any case I had spotted it three years ago. That was the year, my husband made a last ditch visit to Wegmans our local supermarket to buy my Christmas present. Gasp! Yup, I know pretty lame. He's still living with that terrible decision. No, but really he did okay that year, given the circumstances. (I am laughing as I write). He bought me this magazine La Cucina Italiana, Cooking Light cook book of whatever year, marcona chocolate covered almonds, cheese knife set, apple slicer and some olives. All in all I really can't complain. What really killed me was the fact that he did that all last minute like.

In any case, just in case you were wondering, he has improved. I received a sewing machine this year for Christmas, something I really wanted and needed.

Here is the beauty of a bread that is mafalda. Wish I had some crumb pictures for yah. It had a beautiful tender crumb. The dough was so soft and supple, I really could have just kept kneading it. Not sticky at all. Very nice to work with. Durum flour is pretty nice.
These babies are heading off to Susan's blog for Yeastspotting.
Mafalda
adapted from La Cucina Italiana

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tabelspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
2 1/2 cups durum flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
sesame seeds for sprinkling
corn meal if you are going to use a peel

Proof yeast- sprinkle yeast on a 1/2 cup of luke warm water- about 105F. After a couple minutes add 3/4 cup warm water, 1 tabelspoon of olive oil and salt.

In a large bowl mix flours. Pour the olive oil/water mixture into the bowl, stirring constantly. After it comes together remove from the bowla nd begin to knead it. Working it pretty good, slapping it on the counter a few times (good for aggression over thoughtless ways to buy presents, ha ha). Place that beautiful lump of dough into a well greased (with olive oil) bowl. Cover and let rise until double in volume.

Remove when doubled and punch down. Let it rest for about five minutes, covered. Cut the dough in half. Roll into a very long rope, about a yard or so. Cut the rope in 2/3 and 1/3. Twist the ropes one at a time back and forth creating the leaves. Shape the other side and pinch together. The rope that is a tad bit longer leave the end straight. Bring the extension of the ropes over the top middle. Dont pinch down under, just pinch at the top. Place a little of the cornmeal down on a baking sheet and put the shapes on that. Let rise again for about an hour. Or place on the peel if you are using one.

Preheat oven to 425F. Spritz the shapes with water and sprinkle the sesame seeds on. Place int he oven. Set the timer for ten minutes. Place bread in oven. Open the oven two more times to spritz with water before the ten minutes are up. Once the ten minutes are up reduce the oven temp to 400F and bake for about 20 minutes more.
I shared this one with my neighbor(s) "L" who so graciously plowed our driveway during the major snow dumpage that was last weekend. My husband was pretty much lifeless after shveling for about five or so hours. So after some more dumpage, out comes my neighbor. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And just one more little side note.

I don't know if you have seen this video yet but what a hoot. These ladies mix up some amazing potato salad.

14 comments:

Joie de vivre said...

How pretty! Men do everything last minute, don't they? At least you got a good recipe out of his last minute trip to the grocery store.

Anonymous said...

Depending on which store, I've been known to do some Christmas shopping at Wegmans, myself!

The bread is beautiful.

I recently stumbled on your blog -
I'm in Rochester too. Last weekend was awful, wasn't it? My neighbors with the plow received a warm coffee cake from us. :)

kat said...

that is one beautiful loaf of bread!

lisa is cooking said...

Beautiful bread! I love the shape and the seeds on top. I wish La Cucina posted all of their recipes on their web site, but they seem to only show a few. Weird.

Dewi said...

Hi Lori,
wow, I haven't visited you for ages. How are thing going with you? well?

Anyway,
this bread looks really delicious. Love the sesames on top.

Have a wonderful weekend,
~elra~

grace said...

wegman's for a christmas present? gadzooks. i'm sure that's a year you'll never forget. :)
great bread! i love the shape of it, and i suspect i'd love the taste too. :)

Kathleen said...

Men can be so irritating! LOL! this bread looks like a work of art! I don't make a lot of bread yet, but I'm getting ready to. I've just got to get over the intimidation!!!

Katy ~ said...

Your bread is GORGEOUS!! Wow, does it look good. Wish I could have a slice right now...

Lori said...

Elra- I am well. Always nice to drop by your very beautiful site.

Kathleen- Have no fear! You can do it!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

I want! Okay so I can't shovel your drive but I can do something else. I'll do a lot for homemade bread and your jam. :)

Lori, when I lived in NYC just about every Sat morning I would go to the Italian deli on the corner and buy this bread that was round thin with a huge hole in the middle (Like a giant skinny donut). The bread was crusty on the outside but inside, inside was where magic happened. It was filled with fresh cracked pepper, small cubes of hard salami (and probaby other kinds but I can't remember). The bread was spicy from the pepper and salami but not hot. Do you know the name of it or have you ever seen it? I WANT that bread. So much so I'd be willing to try making it myself. Help? :)
~ingrid

Susan said...

I'll bet that if pressed I could come up with a few things they carry at Wegman's that I'd be happy with. I'd say your husband did a pretty good job, considering. I love the shape of these loaves!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I love, love, love your pretty bread!

In defense of your poor husband (because they are guys and they just don't get it), he did really well. He didn't miss your birthday and... it looks like he put some thought into what to get you once he got to his "last minute" destination. And now, he learned and he'll never do it again, lol!!

Joanne said...

I've never heard of this type of bread before but it looks delicious. What a beautiful braid.

La Table De Nana said...

Gorgeous! I must try this soon..I love it in the box:)