Bread #1: Donna Adams (famous) Food Processor Bread

[linbakesbread]

Hey there.  I'm taking the easy way out and for my first bread, and making a tried-and-true recipe.  This is our family's favorite bread -- and I learned to make it way back in the late 80s when I was taking cooking classes from Donna Adams in Cleveland, Ohio.  It has only 4 basic ingredients, flour, yeast, salt and water.  There is also a tiny bit of sugar and olive oil.  I don't know the science behind it, but according to Donna, the key to the amazing flavor of this bread is the third rise and the fact that you let the dough rise in an airtight, tall, narrow container.  It keeps the gasses in and makes the bread have an ever-so-slight sourdough taste.  Also, spraying the bread with water before baking mimics the steam ovens of professional bakers, resulting in a perfectly crisp crust.

Here is the recipe.  Please bake this bread with me.

Tools you will need
Food processor (such as Cuisinart) fitted with plastic dough blade
1 cup glass measuring cup
1 cup dry measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Tall, narrow container (or a bowl) for letting the dough rise
Plastic wrap
Rubber band
Parchment paper
Baking sheet
Spray bottle with water
Sharp (or serrated) knife for slashing the bread dough
 




Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water (approx. 115 degrees)
1 Tablespoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 cups Montana Sapphire flour
1 Tablespoon sea salt (preferably La Baleine fine sea salt)

1 cup cold water (use cold water here because the food processor generates heat as it kneads the dough)
2 to 2 1/2 cups additional Montana Sapphire flour

1 teaspoon olive oil


Directions

1. Proof yeast:  In a glass measuring cup stir together the warm water, yeast and sugar.  Let sit a few minutes until bubbly.
2. Meanwhile, combine the 2 cups of flour and salt in a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Blend for a few seconds.
3. Add the yeast mixture and blend for about 1 minute.
4. Add additional cold water and flour (start with about 1 3/4 cup flour) and knead until dough forms a ball and the sides of the bowl are fairly clean. Add in more flour as needed.  The dough should be soft but workable - that is, you can take it out of the food processor without the dough sticking to your hands.  
5. Dump dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the 1 teaspoon olive oil to the container or bowl that you will let the dough rise in.  Put the ball of dough into the container and turn to lightly coat with olive oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and fasten with rubber band (to trap in the gasses).  
7. Let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour until doubled.  Punch down.
8. Let rise a second time for 45 minutes to 1 hour until doubled.
9. Dump dough onto counter and shape into 3 tight, round loaves (see notes).  Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with a little more olive oil (to prevent plastic wrap from sticking) and cover with plastic wrap.
10. Let rise a third time for 45 minutes.  
11. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
12. Slash tops and spray with water.
13. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes. 
14. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack.

Notes

• In order for the shaped loaves to rise properly, then need to be formed into tight balls.  You can do this by pinching the dough together, turning the ball 90 degrees and pinching it together again.  Repeat until the dough is in a tight ball. 
• Since there is very little fat in the dough, it goes stale quickly.  If you're not eating it the day you make it, wrap in foil, then put in a zip-lock bag and freeze. 
• To heat and re-crisp the bread, spray bread lightly with water and heat in 425 degree oven for about 5-7 minutes.