Tag Archives: unbleached all-purpose flour

Pugliese Potato-Crust “Pizza” with Tomatoes & Mozzarella

March 1, 2016 rusticoblog

The Pugliesi are known for transforming simple vegetables into memorable dishes, and the pizza below is no exception. A supple crust is made with boiled potatoes and flour (much like gnocchi dough, but firmer) and baked in a well-oiled pan until the edges crisp and brown. Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and fresh thyme are a classic topping, but you can add Parmigiano, olives, even salame or artichoke hearts, whatever strikes your fancy or beckons at the market.

The dough, unlike classic pizza dough, doesn’t contain yeast, so it won’t rise in the oven. While the pizza can be baked immediately after shaping and topping, you can also opt to shape it and top it up to 12 hours ahead, making it a perfect dish for entertaining.

Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as an appetizer

½ pound Yukon Gold potatoes
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for the baking pan
20 grape tomatoes, halved
8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces fresh Mozzarella, cut into 1/4 -inch cubes, drained in a colander 30 minutes and blotted dry

Place the potatoes in a 1-quart pot. Add cool water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes over medium heat, then drain, pass through a ricer, and cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 425°F (preferbaly set on convection bake).

Mix the potatoes, flour, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt on a counter until a smooth dough forms, adding a little water if needed to help the dough come together; if the dough is sticky, add a little flour. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Flatten into a disk and roll out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured counter.

Generously grease a non-perforated (and preferably nonstick) 12-inch pizza pan with olive oil and line it with the dough. Drizzle the top of the dough with the olive oil; top with the tomatoes, cut side down. Season with the thyme, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper.

Place the pizza pan on the baking stone in the preheated oven and bake 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Remove from the oven, top with the Mozzarella, and return to the oven for 2 more minutes, or until the Mozzarella melts. Serve hot.

Bread, Dessert

Croissants (Buttery, Flaky, Delicious Croissants!)

January 1, 2016 rusticoblog

I don’t bake croissants very often. Not because we don’t love them (oh, how we love them!!), but because I am always trying out new recipes for our cooking school, and with just two of us eating, it’s hard to justify making a batch of croissants when I know we really can’t eat more than a few at a sitting… Freezing the rest just seems so sad! All that delicious butteriness, that perfect flakiness, FROZEN? Being a bread and pastry purist, I never freeze my desserts or breads unless I really don’t have a choice (like a sudden trip or WAY too much food in house).

Unlike most people who are signing up for gym memberships and vowing to eat less in the New Year, this week we decided that New Year’s Day was the perfect time to indulge in homemade croissants, and that freezing a few uneaten croissants was better than not eating any at all. Even if the thawed croissants would be a little less perfect than the fresh-from-the-oven croissants, I would make peace with that.

Making croissants at home is not difficult, but requires a bit of time and patience. The techniques used are drawn from bread-baking (the dough is yeasted) and puff pastry-making (the butter is layered between sheets of dough and the dough is turned repeatedly). The resulting croissants (when properly made) are a beguiling combination of crisp, bread-like exterior and soft, flaky, buttery puff pastry interior. Hence, I categorized them as both bread and dessert on this blog: they are either a very rich bread or a somewhat lighter pastry… your call.

For best flavor, it is absolutely essential that you use good quality, unsalted European butter rather than domestic butter. French, Italian, and Danish butters all work well (they have a higher fat content than American butters and a deeper, creamier flavor). We tasted several imported and European-style butters last year, and determined that Lescure from France was our favorite brand. So before making croissants, seek out a good European butter; it will make a huge difference.

One more thing: All of the recipes (with just one exception) I have ever seen for croissants call for the dough to be made with milk. I have made croissants with both water and milk and we have decided that the flavor of the butter is more pronounced when water is used. Feel free to try milk, or half milk and half water, instead of water as below, and see what you think. Milk croissants will brown more quickly in the oven, due to the sugars in the milk.

Makes 10 medium croissants (or 6 large croissants if larger shapes are cut from the dough before baking)

For the dough:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
3/4 cup room-temperature water
Butter for greasing the bowl

For the butter paste:

¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
12 tablespoons (1 and 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted European butter (our favorite brand is Lescure)

To bake:

1 large egg, beaten to blend with 1 tablespoon water

Make the dough: Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Pour in the water and mix quickly until you have a soft, sticky dough; the dough will be ragged and not smooth. Don’t overmix or the dough will be tough; 1 minute is long enough. You don’t need to knead the dough, just gather it together. Place in a buttered bowl, turn to coat lightly with the butter, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (but no more than 12 hours), as the dough is easier to handle when cold.

Make the butter paste: Pour the flour on a counter and place the chilled butter on top of the flour. Using a metal pastry cutter or dough scraper and working quickly to avoid melting the butter, cube the butter and incorporate it with the flour; be sure to avoid touching the butter directly with your hands or the butter will melt. Use the scraper to break up the butter into tiny pieces; any hard lumps will ruin the texture of the dough and force it to tear. When the butter is soft but not melted, there are no lumps or hard bits remaining, and it is uniformly mixed with the flour, shape it into a 5-inch square. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured counter. Do not knead it or work it, or it will toughen. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a 12-inch square. Place the butter on the central portion of the dough at a 45 degree angle so it looks like a diamond on top of a square. Fold the corners of the dough over to enclose the butter perfectly: you will now have a diamond-shaped package of dough encasing butter. If needed, wet your fingertips lightly with water to help seal the edges properly. No butter should be visible or oozing out of the dough package.

Turn the dough diamond so it sits like a square on the floured counter. Flip it upside down so the seam is underneath.

Using the rolling pin and working quickly so as not to melt the butter, roll out the dough into a 1/4-thick rectangle, about 20 inches long by about 4 inches wide. Flip the dough over a few times as needed to prevent sticking to the counter and dust lightly with flour as needed.

Fold the left third of the dough towards the center and then flip the right third of the dough over, to cover. Make sure the edges line up nicely and brush off excess flour with a dry pastry brush.

To ensure a proper texture and plenty of puff, do not roll the rolling pin beyond the edges of the dough, or you will inadvertently seal the layers together and crush them, preventing proper puffing.

Turn the package 90 degrees so the spine (the closed edge) of the dough sits at the left. Roll out again into a 1/4-thick rectangle, about 20 inches long by about 4 inches wide. Fold again into thirds as before, then wrap the resulting rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 8 hours). The dough has now been turned twice and has 9 butter and flour layers.

Place the rectangle of dough on the counter so that the spine of the dough sits at the left. Repeat the rolling out and folding process two more times, for a total of 4 turns. The dough now has 81 layers of butter and flour.

Wrap the resulting rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or as long as overnight.

To bake: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Lightly dust a counter with flour and roll out the dough into a rectangle that measures about 21 inches x 7 inches; it should be 1/4-inch thick. Working quickly so the butter does not melt, trim the edges as needed (use the trimmings to make other pastries, such as almond croissants, as below) and cut into 10 triangles (to make 6 larger croissants, cut into larger triangles).

Dust off excess flour with a clean, dry brush.

Cut a small slit in the middle at the base of each triangle; this will help you get a better curvature to the finished croissants and will allow you to elongate the corners.

Gently stretch each triangle, especially at the base and tip. Roll each triangle, starting from the wide end and working towards the point, into a log, keeping the layers tight.

Fold the two corners down to create a crescent shape. Place the croissants on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart (they will rise dramatically in the oven so they need room to expand, or they will bake up pale and soft instead of golden and crisp if they are overcrowded).

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature at least 2 hours, or until the croissants are almost doubled in bulk. If your kitchen is cold, the dough will rise more slowly; don’t rush the proofing step or the croissants will end up heavy rather than feather-light.

When the croissants are noticeably bigger, brush with the egg wash.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees convection.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden all over and crisp; if underbaked, the croissants will be soggy in the center. Remove to a cooling rack.

Enjoy within minutes of baking if possible (or at the very least, within hours). Croissants can also be frozen once cooled, double-wrapped in plastic wrap and then sealed in freezer-safe plastic bags; to reheat, remove the plastic wrap, place on a baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until defrosted all the way through and crisp.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROOFING

Take a look at the two photos below: one batch of croissants was left to proof until doubled in bulk before baking, and another was proofed just until the croissants grew about 50% of their original volume. The difference in the lightness of the layers is amazing once baked: the top photo (fully proofed) shows light, flaky, distinct layers, while the bottom photo (underproofed) shows undistinct, cakey, thick layers.

WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER SCRAPS? ALMOND PASTE CROISSANTS AND MORE…

And remember the leftover scraps and dough trimmings? Gather them gently, roll out into rectangles, and fill with a few pieces of bittersweet chocolate, some apricot jam, savory items like Gruyere cheese and sauteed spinach, or (our favorite) a combination of almond paste, butter, and sugar (I beat 1 and 1/2 ounces almond paste with 3/4 ounces butter and 1 tablespoon sugar until creamy and smooth to fill 3 rectangular croissants). Spread the filling of choice on the dough, leaving a wide border all around, and wrap to enclose in thirds. Place seam side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then proceed as above for glazing with egg wash twice and baking.

Fresh Pasta

Rigatoni with Sicilian Summer Squash, Tomatoes, & Basil

August 27, 2015 rusticoblog

I wish I had thought to take a photo of the Sicilian summer squash I found at the farmer’s market before I got inspired to cook it! Long, slender, with a crooked neck and pale, smooth skin, cucuzze (as these light green squash are known in Italy) are a summer delicacy in Sicily and Calabria. They have a more compact texture than most varieties of squash and a sweet, delicate flavor. Many Sicilian-Americans grow these squash in their home gardens, and if you are lucky, so might one of the farmers at the green market you frequent.

In the summer, Sicilians slow-cook the squash with potatoes, tomatoes, and onions, making a delectable minestrone of sorts, finishing it with broken spaghetti to thicken up the broth in the last few minutes of cooking. But pastas made with cucuzze abound; some feature the tender green squash leaves (known as tenerumi); others, like mine below, are flavored simply with tomatoes, onions, and basil. If you can get your hands on Caciocavallo cheese, a sharp, melting cheese akin to Provolone, use it instead of the Pecorino for a more authentically Sicilian flavor. And of course, if you can’t find cucuzze, simply use taut, small green zucchini instead in this recipe; it will still be delicious!

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer

For the rigatoni:

3 and 1/2 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
3 and 1/2 ounces semolina flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon chili flakes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup water, plus extra as needed
1/2 pound Sicilian summer squash (cucuzza), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

To cook and serve:

2 tablespoons sea salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces (1/2 cup) freshly grated Pecorino Romano
12 basil leaves, torn

Make the rigatoni: Combine the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and salt on a counter. Make a well in the center and add the eggs to the well. Using a fork at first, draw the flour into the eggs. When all of the flour has been incorporated, begin kneading the dough by hand; knead until it is smooth and firm, about 10 minutes.

If the dough is dry, add a touch of water; if it is moist, add a touch of flour. Shape into a ball, dust with flour, and place under an inverted bowl on the counter; let rest 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

Using a pasta machine, shape the dough into rigatoni. We used a pasta extruder for this purpose. If you don’t have a pasta extruder, but you have a regular pasta machine, or a rolling pin, or a bottle, roll out into thin sheets and cut into tagliatelle, pappardelle, or whatever shape you prefer.

Set the cut pasta aside on several sheets of parchment paper, spread out and dusted with semolina flour so it does not stick, while you prepare the sauce. (You can also substitute 1/2 pound of dried pasta if time is short or you don’t feel like making fresh pasta.)

Make the sauce: Place the olive oil, garlic, chili, and onion in a deep, wide skillet large enough to accommodate the pasta later. Cook over medium heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the water and stir. Cover and cook 5 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the onion is soft.

Uncover, add the squash, and saute 5 minutes, or until the squash is just starting to soften. Add the tomatoes, season with the salt, and cook, covered, 10 minutes, or until the squash is soft and the tomatoes have broken down into a rich sauce, adding water as needed if the sauce dries out. There should always be about 1/4 cup of liquid in the skillet.

To cook the pasta: Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the salt and the rigatoni. Cook until shy of al dente. Drain, reserving at least 2 cups of the pasta cooking water.

Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the simmering sauce. Raise the heat to medium-high and saute until the pasta is al dente, adding more reserved pasta cooking water as needed to thin out the sauce and allow the pasta to cook through. Depending on how far from al dente the pasta was when you drained it, the sauteing step may take anywhere from 1 minute to as long as 5 minutes.

To serve: Stir in the olive oil, pepper, Pecorino, and basil, and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, warm, or even at room temperature; this pasta is delicious even after it cools off!

Appetizer

Spicy Beef-Stuffed Potato Pancakes with Minty Yogurt

August 16, 2015 rusticoblog

Pugliese cooks make delicious “pizze” using boiled potatoes and flour for the crust; similar to gnocchi dough, the potato dough is moist and supple and lends itself beautifully to various toppings, most commonly tomatoes, Mozzarella, and herbs.

A few weeks ago, I found myself with some leftover boiled potatoes and raw beef chuck, so I decided to try the Pugliese potato dough to encase a spicy beef filling. I shaped the mixture into small pancakes, and after a brief bake in a hot oven, the pancakes were golden and lightly crisp on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside. At first glance, my husband thought the pancakes looked like chocolate chip cookies, so he was quite surprised when they appeared on his plate for lunch!

Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list; the recipe comes together easily and quickly, and the pancakes can be shaped up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated until ready to pop in the oven.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer

For the potato dough:

3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground

For the beef filling:

1/4 pound ground beef chuck (80% lean)
2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
1 small yellow onion, grated on the coarse side of a box grater
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

For the yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt

To cook:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Make the potato dough: Place the potatoes in a 4-quart pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, peel, pass through a ricer onto a counter, and cool to room temperature. Add the flour, salt, pepper, and fennel seeds, and gather the ingredients until they come together into a dough. Do not overwork the dough or it will get sticky and require additional flour. Shape into a ball, roll into a log, and cut into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Set on a lightly floured counter, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside. (The dough will start to stick it is left on the counter too long, so it is essential that you flour the counter under the balls of dough.)

Make the beef filling: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mash well with your hands to combine; cook a tiny bit of filling to check for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Divide the filling into 16 equal mounds on a plate.

Make the yogurt sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl; refrigerate until needed.

To cook: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Oil the parchment with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Take one ball of dough and cup it in one hand. Place a mound of beef filling in the middle of the dough. Press down with your free hand and then gather the dough up and over the filling to enclose. Flatten gently between the palms of your hands and place on the oiled parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush the tops of the pancakes with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (preferably set on convection bake). Bake the pancakes 12 minutes; remove from the oven and flip them over. Return them to the oven and bake another 12 minutes, or until golden on top and just starting to get a bit crisp. Serve hot, with the yogurt sauce.

Fresh Pasta

Reginette with Pine Nut & Marjoram Pesto

June 3, 2015 rusticoblog

One of our favorite summer dishes is fresh pasta (either round corzetti or the long, curly ribbons known as reginette, pictured here) tossed with a highly fragrant pine nut pesto. We look forward to this Ligurian specialty in the cold of winter, when fresh marjoram is not an option, and make it almost weekly when the marjoram on our deck starts to grow in. For a lighter (but no less delicious) version of the sauce, you can omit the heavy cream and double the milk, as we often do at home.

This recipe is adapted from my latest cookbook, The Best Pasta Sauces.

Serves 2

For the pesto:

3 tablespoons marjoram leaves
1 plump garlic clove, peeled
½ cup pine nuts
¼ cup whole milk, plus extra as needed
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

For the reginette:

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

To cook:

2 tablespoons salt

Make the pesto: Combine all the ingredients except the Parmigiano in a food processor and process until smooth. Place in a bowl large enough to accommodate the pasta later, and stir in the Parmigiano. If the sauce seems too thick, dilute with additional milk; the pesto should have the texture of heavy cream, but it won’t be perfectly smooth due to the nuts.

(The pesto keeps in the refrigerator up to 1 week as long as it is topped with a thin layer of olive oil; it can also be frozen for up to 1 month if the Parmigiano has not been stirred in.)

Make the reginette: Mix the flour, semolina flour, and salt on a counter and shape into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the eggs to the well. Using your fingertips, work the flour into the eggs, then gather into a dough and knead by hand; add a little water if the dough is too dry or a little flour if it is too moist. Knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth, then shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and let rest 30 minutes.

Cut the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time and keeping the others covered, roll out each piece using a pasta machine into a thin sheet. Sprinkle each sheet generously with semolina flour and roll up loosely jelly roll-style. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips with curly edges using a reginette attachment. Toss with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Spread out in a single layer on a few semolina-dusted trays. (If you don’t have a reginette attachment, you can order one from Fantes or simply cut into tagliatelle or pappardelle, or whatever shape you fancy.)

To cook: Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the salt and the reginette and cook until al dente; drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Stir 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water into the pesto in the serving bowl. Add the drained pasta, and stir to coat. Adjust the salt if necessary and stir in additional reserved pasta cooking water if the sauce seems too thick to properly coat the pasta. Serve hot.

Main Course: Vegetarian

Spinach & Parmigiano Torta

May 14, 2015 rusticoblog

We can’t get enough of leafy greens. Spinach, broccoli raab, escarole, beet greens, Swiss chard, kale, cabbage… at least one vegetable green and leafy finds its way to our table at every meal. And while I adore these vegetables simply steamed and dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, or sauteed with garlic and chili flakes, I love incorporating them in more “dressed up” dishes like the torta below.

Essentially a souffle, this torta is baked in a pretty oven-to-table pan so it can be served all puffed up and golden straight from its cooking vessel. Denser and less airy than a classic French souffle, it is a lovely main course accompanied by green salad and crusty bread. Try using different greens as they appear at the farmers’ markets this spring; spinach, always available, is an excellent jumping off point.

Serves 2 as a main course

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 pound fresh spinach, leaves only, washed thoroughly
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup 2% or whole milk
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (preferably set on convection bake). Lightly butter an 8-inch x 4-inch oven-to-table pan (or any ovenproof pan with a 4-cup capacity). Dust the bottom with 1 tablespoon of the Parmigiano.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and drop in the spinach. Cook 3 minutes, or until soft and silky. Drain, rinse under cool water to stop the cooking, and squeeze dry. Chop finely and set aside.

In a small but heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly with a wire whisk, until the flour loses its raw smell, about 2 minutes. Do not allow the flour and butter mixture to take on any color, so monitor the heat carefully and whisk constantly.

Quickly pour in the milk, still whisking all the while to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil and cook over medium hear 3 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, the nutmeg, and 1/4 cup of the remaining Parmigiano. Now whisk in the egg yolks, beating thoroughly to avoid scrambling them in the hot milk mixture. Beat in the spinach and set aside.

In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the spinach mixture.

Pour into the buttered oven-to-table pan and dust the top with the remaining tablespoon of Parmigiano. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden, set, and puffed. Serve hot.

Focaccia

Crispy Polenta & Olive Fougasse

May 6, 2015 rusticoblog

Fougasse is a ladder-shaped bread from Provence, similar in many ways to focaccia (even the name hints at shared roots). You can make fougasse with any type of yeasted dough; pizza dough or a simple bread dough enriched with olive oil work very well. It’s all about the shaping: several slits are cut into the dough after the second rising, so the bread bakes up crispier than usual thanks to the additional exposed edges.

My favorite fougasse includes fresh herbs such as thyme or rosemary. Lately I have been adding polenta to the dough, a nod to the cornmeal doughs made in Calabria and Abruzzo, which are typically baked until quite crisp and served floating in thick vegetable soups or passed alongside savory cheeses and salumi. Adding minced black olives to the dough gives it an addictively salty bite; you can omit the olives for a sweeter, more neutral taste and lighter color.

The bulk of this dough is polenta, with just a little wheat flour to provide gluten and lift, so the fougasse bakes up crispy outside and a bit dense and cakey on the inside. It tastes like an old-fashioned bread should: hearty, rustic, and full of character.

Makes one 12-inch fougasse (serves 2 hungry people or 4 more reserved eaters)

For the dough:

¾ cup stone-ground coarse polenta
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
¾ teaspoon instant yeast
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup pitted black olives, such as Kalamata or Gaeta, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the bowl
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon warm (100°F) water, plus extra as needed

To bake:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

To serve:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Make the dough: Place the cornmeal, flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the olives and olive oil, and mix again. Pour in the water, adding enough to make a soft dough that gathers around the spoon.

Add a little more water if the dough is dry or a touch of all-purpose flour if it is sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and silky and elastic. It is fine if the dough sticks a little bit to the counter; the faster you knead it, the less it will stick; and the less it sticks, the less flour you will add, resulting in a lighter fougasse once baked.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Shape into a rough ball, and turn to coat with the oil. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour. At this point, refrigerate the dough overnight so the dough develops a deep, sweet, complex flavor. (You can skip this step if you are in a rush, but the fougasse will taste more flat.)

A few hours before you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator, place it on a very lightly floured counter, and knead it a few times. Return it to the bowl and cover again with the plastic wrap.

One hour before baking, preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 425°F (preferably set on convection bake).

Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured counter and stretch it into a 12-inch long by 6-inch wide rectangle. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper on an upturned baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes, or until starting to puff a bit.

Using scissors, cut decorative slits into the dough, creating a ladder shape. Stretch each aperture created by each slit with your fingers so there is more crust exposed.

To bake: In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and water. Brush over the fougasse. Sprinkle with the coarse salt.

Slip the fougasse (still on the parchment paper) onto the hot baking stone, using the upturned baking sheet like a pizza paddle to push off the parchment paper. Immediately close the oven door.

Bake on the baking stone in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown all over and crispy around the edges, spraying the oven floor with ¼ cup of water 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking.

To serve: Cool on a rack 10 minutes, brush with the olive oil, and cut into wedges before serving.

Fresh Pasta

Reginette with Burst Cherry Tomatoes & Herbs

January 30, 2015 rusticoblog

Winter lingers too long for my taste here in the northeast. Granted, it was even worse when we lived in Montreal, starting in December and dragging through April… But sometime around late January, I start craving the flavors of summer, the simplicity of summer cooking, the bright colors of the summer table. So I cheat a little and cook something that feels summery even though I’m using anything but seasonal ingredients. Here is an easy and superbly flavored pasta that owes its summery flavor to cherry tomatoes that are cooked to bursting in a searing hot pan, creating a soulful, deeply flavorful sauce in no time at all.

You can make this dish with half a pound of store-bought pasta instead (something thick and sturdy like penne rigate or mezzi rigatoni is ideal). But if you have the time to make the pasta from scratch, the result will be even more memorable. And if you need a little practice before making fresh pasta, join us at one of our hands-on cooking classes in NYC. Reginette are frilly pappardelle, named after the collars worn by queens (regine). Pappardelle or tagliatelle are a good substitute if you do not have a reginette attachment for your pasta machine.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer

For the reginette:

3 and 1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) semolina flour, plus extra as needed
3 and 1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs

For the sauce:

2 pints grape tomatoes, washed and left whole
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves only, minced
2 thyme sprigs, leaves only

To cook and serve:

2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces (1/2 cup) freshly grated Pecorino Romano (optional)

Make the reginette: Place the flours on a counter and add the salt; combine with a fork. Make a well in the center and add the eggs to the well. Incorporate the eggs into the flour, forming a firm dough. Knead 5 minutes, or until smooth, adding a little water if the dough is dry or a little semolina flour if it is sticky, shape into a ball, wrap and let rest 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier later.

Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time and keeping the other covered, roll out each piece into a nearly transparent sheet using a pasta machine. Cut with a reginette attachment or cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips with a sharp knife. Toss with semolina flour to prevent sticking.

Spread out in a single layer on a semolina-dusted tray and toss every few minutes to prevent sticking. (The pasta can also be dried at this point and stored in airtight containers for weeks, but it tastes much better when fresh and supple.)

Make the sauce: Heat a heavy pan large enough to accommodate the pasta later over medium-high heat for 2 minutes (if using nonstick, do not allow the pan to get so hot that it smokes). Toss in the cherry tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, shaking the pan once in a while. When the tomatoes start to blacken in spots and burst, add the the olive oil, salt, chili, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Sauté 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes fully burst and start to form a chunky sauce. If the sauce dries out too much, add a splash of water to the pan; there should always be about 1/2 cup of liquid in the pan. Remove from the heat. (The sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated; warm gently before proceeding and adjust the seasoning.)

To serve: Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the salt and the reginette. Cook until al dente, about 1 minute for fresh pasta (much longer for dried); drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Toss the reginette into the sauce in the skillet and sauté over high heat for 1 minute, diluting with some of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed; the sauce should be fluid and coat the pasta nicely. Stir in the olive oil and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot, passing Pecorino if desired at the table.

Fresh Pasta

Potato and Spinach Gnocchi with Caramelized Onions & Crispy Rye Bread Crumbs

December 8, 2014 rusticoblog

These gnocchi are a variation on a Piedmontese specialty which goes by the name Cabiette. Some recipes call for grating the potatoes while they are raw and combining them with spinach (or more traditionally, nettles) and rye flour. I prefer boiling and ricing my potatoes because the texture is smoother and the gnocchi lighter. Either way, what gives this dish its distinct personality is the use of rye flour and topping of crispy rye bread crumbs, which give the gnocchi a pleasantly nutty flavor and marry well with the slight bitterness of the greens. If you can find nettles, pick off the tender leaves wearing gloves to protect your hands, discarding the stems.

The gnocchi can be boiled and topped with the caramelized onions, grated cheese, and bread crumbs up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated, so this is a great make-ahead dish for entertaining. Just pop them into the preheated oven when you are ready to serve.

Serves 4

For the gnocchi:

1 and 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
8 ounces fresh spinach leaves
4 ounces ( 1 and 1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter and trays
1 ounce rye flour (1/3 cup), or additional all-purpose flour if preferred
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 slice stale rye bread
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the baking dish
1 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced

To cook the gnocchi:

2 tablespoons salt
1/4 pound Toma delle Langhe, Fontina, or Raclette, rind removed, grated

Make the gnocchi: Place the potatoes in a pot of cool water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes. Remove to a tray and reserve the cooking water.

Pass the potatoes through a ricer onto a counter and allow to cool to room temperature (if you make the gnocchi while the potatoes are still hot, they will “sweat” and require additional flour, making them heavy rather than light).

Return the potato cooking water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, discarding the cooking water. Squeeze VERY DRY with your hands and chop finely.

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil.

On a counter, combine the riced potatoes, chopped spinach, all-purpose flour, rye flour, salt, and pepper. Gather gently into a dough; if the dough is sticky, add more all-purpose flour; if it is dry, add a touch of water. (Remember: you can always add flour, but you can never take it away, so be cautious when adding flour.) Don’t knead the dough, as the potatoes are naturally moist and they will make the dough feel sticky.

When the dough seems to be of the right texture, snip off a piece and test it in the boiling water: drop it in the boiling water until it floats to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon, taste, and adjust the texture of the gnocchi as needed, adding a bit more flour if they are too soft and falling apart, or a bit of water if they are too dry.

Shape the gnocchi: Roll the dough into 1-inch wide logs on a lightly floured counter and cut into 1-inch pieces. Arrange in a single layer on a lightly floured tray.

Make the sauce: Process the bread into crumbs into fine bread crumbs in a food processor; toss with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, add the onions, and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook until caramelized, stirring often, about 25 minutes over medium-low heat; set aside.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small pan and keep warm. Butter a large baking dish and set it aside.

Cook the gnocchi: Preheat the oven to 325° (preferably set on convection). Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add the salt.

Drop in the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon to the buttered baking dish.

To bake: Top with the caramelized onions, and pour on the melted butter. Scatter the Toma over the gnocchi and top with the rye bread crumbs. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the bread crumbs are golden, and serve hot.

Focaccia

Focaccia di Recco (Cheese-Filled Flat Focaccia)

November 17, 2014 rusticoblog

This is quintessential street food in Liguria: thin, flaky dough encasing runny cheese, the whole thing flavored with fragrant olive oil and coarse sea salt. A specialty of Recco, a small seaside town, focaccia di Recco is unlike any focaccia you may have encountered. There is no yeast in the dough, and no salt in the dough either (salt toughens the dough, so it is used only on the top crust, sprinkled on just before baking). The focaccia is baked in huge pans in a blazing hot oven, the top crust emerging burnished and brown, the bottom crust soft and almost lasagna-like thanks to the weight of the cheese.

And the cheese: Stracchino or Crescenza are the only cheeses used, runny, tangy cousins of Gorgonzola, but with no hint of blue and no aging. Almost impossible to find in most American cheese shops, Stracchino and Crescenza can be substituted by Taleggio or even a buffalo milk Mozzarella, and the resulting focaccia will be delicious… but not quite the same as the original. You can mail-order Stracchino from igourmetcom . We met Luigi Guffanti in Piedmont, when we visited with my parents on the Lago Maggiore, and his cheeses are delicious!!

Serves 2 as a main course and 4 as an appetizer

For the dough:

1 and ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the bowl and the pan
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons room-temperature water, plus extra as needed

For the filling:

6 ounces Stracchino or Crescenza, diced

To bake:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Make the dough: Place the flour the olive oil in a bowl. Add ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of room-temperature water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Turn out onto the counter and knead for 5 minutes, adding water if the dough is dry or flour if the dough is sticky.

The dough should be soft and supple, or you will not be able to roll it out until it is nearly transparent later; resist the temptation to add too much flour or it may be tough later. Turn the dough out into an oiled bowl, shape into a ball, and wrap. Let rest 30 minutes at room temperature (or refrigerate up to 2 days; return to room temperature before rolling out).

Meanwhile, preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 550°.

Cut the dough in 2 pieces and shape each into a ball. Cover and set aside 20 minutes to relax.

Roll out both pieces on a lightly floured counter until quite thin and allow to rest on a floured counter for 5 minutes to relax and make stretching easier. Make sure there is some flour under the dough or the dough will stick to the counter.

Roll out each piece until nearly transparent (or drape the dough over the backs of your hands and stretch by pulling your hands apart); if the dough tears, patch with your fingers. (This is a very easy dough to work with, and is very versatile.)

Generously oil a round 14-inch pizza pan (use about 1 tablespoon: don’t be skimpy with the oil or the texture of the focaccia won’t be right) and line it with 1 piece of dough, allowing excess dough to hang over the sides (there should be at least 1 inch of excess dough on all sides).

Scatter the Stracchino over the dough, then cover with the other piece of dough. Press the edges to seal and run the rolling pin over the edge of the pan to cut off excess dough, then seal again. (Excess dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, covered, and used to make other focaccias; you can also freeze it for up to 1 month and defrost as needed).

To bake: Brush the top of the focaccia with the olive oil and sprinkle it with the salt. Make a few small tears in the top of the dough (this allows air to escape, preventing the dough from doming as a result of accumulated steam as the focaccia bakes) and bake on the baking stone in the preheated 550° oven for 7 minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden and puffed with a few brown spots. You do not want the dough to take on a cracker-like texture. Serve piping hot.

Rustico Cooking

Tag Archives: unbleached all-purpose flour

Pugliese Potato-Crust “Pizza” with Tomatoes & Mozzarella

Croissants (Buttery, Flaky, Delicious Croissants!)

Rigatoni with Sicilian Summer Squash, Tomatoes, & Basil

Spicy Beef-Stuffed Potato Pancakes with Minty Yogurt

Reginette with Pine Nut & Marjoram Pesto

Spinach & Parmigiano Torta

Crispy Polenta & Olive Fougasse

Reginette with Burst Cherry Tomatoes & Herbs

Potato and Spinach Gnocchi with Caramelized Onions & Crispy Rye Bread Crumbs

Focaccia di Recco (Cheese-Filled Flat Focaccia)

Micol Negrin’s kitchen