Favorite regional and local breads

[weinoo]

Pizza's not bread?

[radtek]

Pizza's not bread?

 

IMO no. A sandwich isn't considered to be "bread" for example. Bread is just an ingredient in pizza's case.

 

But I get your point! 

[Kerry Beal]

Weck - as in beef on weck.  Western New York.

[Alex]

Pizza's not bread?

 

Mitch, please read my question again.

[weinoo]

Why?

 

In my opinion, pizza is a much a bread as Wonder Bread is. It's a yeast risen dough, correct?

 

What about lavash? Pide? Pita? Focaccia?  Are they not "commonly consumed as 'bread'?"

[cakewalk]

I don't think all yeast doughs are bread. Babka is a yeast dough, I wouldn't call it a bread and I wouldn't use it as a bread. Many sweet doughs create yeasted cakes, but not breads. There is a distinction to be made, although different people would draw the line in different places.

 

I find it hard to believe that the Modernist Cuisine folk need to learn about bagels and such, or cookbooks about bread. So I'm kind of wondering what the OP is getting at (in all her posts).

[weinoo]

My point is that to disregard things like lavash, pide, focaccia, pizza, etc. is to disregard what millions of people eat as their daily bread.

[Deryn]

I am surprised that MC hasn't come out with a better 'definition' of what they really want to cover in this book or what they are asking us to talk about. Isn't 'precision' something that MC enthusiasts generally insist upon?

[rotuts]

pita, focaccia, lavash  can be consumed 'plain'

 

can't address pied.

 

what would pizza be 'plain?'

 

could not resist adding my 3 cents.

 

pizza is bread +_

 

now  pizza dough   .....

Edited June 24, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[weinoo]

pizza bianca

[rotuts]

is that similar to focaccia al forno ?

 

 

 

and then there are these :

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=pizza+blanca&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=jtOKVaOmEILl-AHUgYGwAw&ved=0CCkQsAQ&biw=1437&bih=1293

 

Edited June 24, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[Guest Caren Palevitz]

Wow! Thank you for the incredible response. Our goal in reaching out for your favorite local and regional loaves was to find new-to-us breads that we might not have heard of otherwise. 

 

Again, thank you for all of your responses. We really appreciate it.

[Kerry Beal]

Caren - totally forgot this one Salt Rising Bread.  Might not go so far as to say favourite!

[KennethT]

What about the Malaysian Roti Canai, and similarly Singaporeah Roti Prata - stretched breads....

[Smithy]

Righto...I've never tried this but I'm curious about it, and it seems to be very regional:  Injera

[SylviaLovegren]

I never heard of these, but I love anything that contains sesame of any sort. Does this sound right to you? (Scroll down for the bread recipe) http://dooleysdoodles.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-favorite-mongolian-barbecue-sesame.html The dough is not yeasted, but is made with a roux. I've tried this with cakes, but not breads. They do look very interesting.

 

 

No idea whether that is what I had.  Doesn't sound like it but I'm having a hard time figuring out what the roux does -- is it sort of like layers of butter in pastry, acting as an air introducer for leavening?  Thanks for posting it!

 

The Mongolian breads I had were almost like pita, with a pocket, but a much more tender crumb, obviously had a fair amount of fat in it.

 

I just remembered another local bread -- the upstate New York/Buffalo kummelweck roll -- it's a type of Vienna roll, but made a specific way in Buffalo for "beef on weck" sandwiches.  Sadly, I've never had it nor do I have the recipe.

[cakewalk]

No idea whether that is what I had. Doesn't sound like it but I'm having a hard time figuring out what the roux does -- is it sort of like layers of butter in pastry, acting as an air introducer for leavening? Thanks for posting it!

The Mongolian breads I had were almost like pita, with a pocket, but a much more tender crumb, obviously had a fair amount of fat in it.

I just remembered another local bread -- the upstate New York/Buffalo kummelweck roll -- it's a type of Vienna roll, but made a specific way in Buffalo for "beef on weck" sandwiches. Sadly, I've never had it nor do I have the recipe.

http://anhsfoodblog.com/2010/07/cottony-soft-chiffon-cake-baking.html/ I think this blog gives a good explanation about the roux. Also see this: http://kitchentigress.blogspot.com/2014/10/marble-butter-sponge-cake-tang-mian.html It's all about getting your dough to a pillow-like softness. I can understand this as a goal for cake, not so much for bread, since I think there's a fine line between soft and mushy, but that's just a matter of taste. The method fascinates me. The roux method is used for Japanese milk bread, which is known for its softness. http://www.food.com/recipe/japanese-tangzhong-milk-bread-water-roux-493704 Cakes seem to use a fat-based roux, while breads use a water-based roux. Edited July 21, 2015 by Smithy
Corrected link (log)

[JohnT]

Here is a recipe for a traditional Mosbolletjie loaf (actually, quite a few of them) from South Africa. Originally the "must" from wine making was used, but you can make it as detailed below. Mos = must and bolletjies = small balls in Afrikaans.

Mosbolletjies

(Must Buns or Balls)

Raisin Yeast

Prepare the yeast 3 to 4 days before the bread is made.

225g seedless raisins

750ml boiled water, cooled

Wash and cut the raisins in half and place in a medium fruit jar.

Add the lukewarm water, cover the container with cheesecloth and allow to ferment in a fairly warm place for approximately 3 to 4 days, or until the raisins float on top.

Strain and use the liquid to make the sponge.

Sponge

Make the sponge in the afternoon so that it will have risen to double its volume by evening.

Take sufficient flour from a 2.5kg bag of cake flour (AP flour in the US) to make a batter with the raisin yeast.

Beat smooth with a wooden spoon, cover in a warm place and allow to ferment.

Dough for Mosbolletjies

Knead in the evening and allow the dough to rise overnight.

250ml scalded milk

250ml butter

the remainder of the 2.5kg bag cake flour

1 tablespoon salt

375ml sugar

1 tablespoon aniseed

all the sponge

Method:

Pour the scalded milk over the butter and allow it to cool to lukewarm.

Sift the flour and salt into the kneading basin and add the sugar. Add the aniseed, the sponge and the lukewarm milk/butter mixture. Mix and knead well. The dough should not be too stiff. A little lukewarm water may be added if necessary.

Brush with melted butter and cover. Leave in a warm place overnight.

The dough should be well risen the following morning. Knead again thoroughly and cover. Let rise again to double the size.

Rub a little butter on your hands and pinch off small balls of equal size - 40 to 50mm in diameter.

Pack the balls into greased pans, at least 125mm deep. Hold the pan at a slight angle whilst putting in the balls, to ensure they are tightly packed. Brush with melted butter between the rows and on top.

Allow to rise to double the size and bake in a hot oven, 200°C, for 45 to 55 minutes.

Brush the baked buns with 1 teaspoon sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon milk then bake for a further 5 minutes.

Makes 8 to 10 dozen balls.

[ElsieD]

Here is a recipe for a traditional Mosbolletjie loaf (actually, quite a few of them) from South Africa. Originally the "must" from wine making was used, but you can make it as detailed below. Mos = must and bolletjies = small balls in Afrikaans.

Mosbolletjies

(Must Buns or Balls)

Raisin Yeast

Prepare the yeast 3 to 4 days before the bread is made.

225g seedless raisins

750ml boiled water, cooled

Wash and cut the raisins in half and place in a medium fruit jar.

Add the lukewarm water, cover the container with cheesecloth and allow to ferment in a fairly warm place for approximately 3 to 4 days, or until the raisins float on top.

Strain and use the liquid to make the sponge.

Sponge

Make the sponge in the afternoon so that it will have risen to double its volume by evening.

Take sufficient flour from a 2.5kg bag of cake flour (AP flour in the US) to make a batter with the raisin yeast.

Beat smooth with a wooden spoon, cover in a warm place and allow to ferment.

Dough for Mosbolletjies

Knead in the evening and allow the dough to rise overnight.

250ml scalded milk

250ml butter

the remainder of the 2.5kg bag cake flour

1 tablespoon salt

375ml sugar

1 tablespoon aniseed

all the sponge

Method:

Pour the scalded milk over the butter and allow it to cool to lukewarm.

Sift the flour and salt into the kneading basin and add the sugar. Add the aniseed, the sponge and the lukewarm milk/butter mixture. Mix and knead well. The dough should not be too stiff. A little lukewarm water may be added if necessary.

Brush with melted butter and cover. Leave in a warm place overnight.

The dough should be well risen the following morning. Knead again thoroughly and cover. Let rise again to double the size.

Rub a little butter on your hands and pinch off small balls of equal size - 40 to 50mm in diameter.

Pack the balls into greased pans, at least 125mm deep. Hold the pan at a slight angle whilst putting in the balls, to ensure they are tightly packed. Brush with melted butter between the rows and on top.

Allow to rise to double the size and bake in a hot oven, 200°C, for 45 to 55 minutes.

Brush the baked buns with 1 teaspoon sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon milk then bake for a further 5 minutes.

Makes 8 to 10 dozen

Pardon the obvious but I take it this is a sweet bread? The only function of the raisins is to produce the yeast?

[JohnT]

Pardon the obvious but I take it this is a sweet bread? The only function of the raisins is to produce the yeast?

Yes, it is a sweet bread but the raisins do impart some flavour as well.

[suzilightning]

Weck - as in beef on weck.  Western New York.

YES!!  Furthest east you can get this is Syracuse ... unless you make it yourself like I do.

[Franci]

I'm from Puglia, in the South of Italy but growing up I spent a lot of time in Lombardy where my mother is from.

Back in Puglia

Pane with durum flour (my local is quite dense not the big wholes of the nearby Altamura. Pane di Altamura, an amazing bread)

Friselle are the staple dry bread of the summer that we dressed like  in Spain do "pan con tomate", after they have been briefly soaked in water. The taste of friselle is very different depending on the flour used (barley, whole wheat, durum flour, if they are made with pasta madre etc)

Panfocaccia is something I really enjoyed eating. Like the vast array of focacce and stuffed focacce. Focaccia barese is famous. I loved our local focaccia (a mix of durum and 00 flour and potatoes with a filling of onions, black olives cured in wine, which will stain all the inside of the bread, and capers).

Pucce in Lecce that are baked with olives with pit!

 

From the North I miss the real "michetta" almost impossible to find as good as in the past also in Milan. Totally empty in the middle with a nice nutty flavor. And I absolutely adore all the bread "a pasta dura", in this category there are many breads from the North: biove, coppia ferrarese, bauletto, bananine).

 

The Sardinian bread: pane carasau is really special. My husband keep saying that his grandfather from the North of China used to eat something very similar.

 

Then if I start taking about special breads for holidays then the list gets very long: tortano napoletano, pizza al formaggio (which looks more like a panettone not like a pizza) is soooo good.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Franci (log)

[gulfporter]

From Jalisco, Mexico, the birote salado.  It is a sourdough and saltier version of the bland (IMO) standard bolillo (roll).  We traveled extensively around Mexico and I never saw birote salado other than in Jalisco where it is used as the base for the best sandwich on the planet (again, IMO), the torta ahogada (translation: drowned sandwich). 

 

From Scranton, PA and other cities with Lithuanian ethnic populations, Lithuanian rye bread.  It is very sour, extremely dense, we sliced it almost razor thin and ate it at every meal (it was often all we had for weekday breakfasts, slathered in butter).  On my visits to Scranton in the late 1990's my mother said she couldn't find it anymore, that the last bakery making it had closed.   A friend of mine who visited family in Brooklyn found Lithuanian bread there and he'd bring it to me (in DC Metro) and I'd overnight to my mother, up until her death in 2004.