Pissaladiere

[Elissa]

I've made maybe 10 of these over the last 15 years with always different results. Sometimes recipes call for yeast for the dough, sometimes not. I never seem to keep hold of the recipes I like best though.

Just started one for today, that called for yeast. However, the yeast however never foamed, so I just threw it in with the flour and salt anyhow. Dumb? Chuck the whole mess and begin again?

Id like this one to be perfect. Help much appreciated.

[Chris Amirault]

What recipes have you used? I've got one in the Saveur French cookbook I've been dying to try that uses a very simple yeasted dough (7g dry yeast, 3 c AP flour, 1 T salt).

edited to add: Um, and water.

Edited January 1, 2006 by chrisamirault (log)

[Busboy]

My wife and I have an ongoing battle about this: I use a regular pizza dough and cheap yeast, which I've never actually watched to see if it foamed. Stephanie uses some yuppie Martha recipe that incorporates (oh, the shame!) butter.

On the larger yeast/no yeast question, my field research in Nice turned up only yeast crusts on the narrow streets of the Old City, [Note the menu in the upper right hand coner] where pissaladiere is as common as tourists and cheap tumblers of local wine.

But my research was incomplete, so I may have to go back.

[rosejoy]

What kind of yeast did you use and at what point were you trying to get it to foam? If it was an instant yeast like SAF or Fermipan, they don't really "proof" like freshh yeast or active dry yeast - they are made to be mixed in dry with the flour and they don't ususally respond to a water & sugar "proof."

On the other hand, if you were trying to get a sponge started with water, flour and yeast and it didn't show signs of life, then you might have a problem with your yeast being expired.

Time will tell whether your dough rises or not....

[Tkrup]

I've made the recipe in the Saveur cookbook as well, however I bloomed the yeast (regular old fleischman's active dry) with honey and warm water. I never dissolve my salt in the water because I've heard that it retards the little beasties from waking up. I also add vital wheat gluten to my bread flour to give it a better texture. Regular bread flour doesn't have enough gluten to make it good an chewy like real bakery products.

I've made it a few times and have always had good luck.

Hope this helps

Happy New Year!

[Elissa]

Well I did chuck the first batch and start over with my third and last packet of Fleischman's 'dry active,' which sorta gently bloomed. I left that and the cup and a half of flour I had left to rise; when it didn't, I punched it down anyway and let it 'rise' some more - but the dough didn't seem to budge much. The yeast expiration date was 2007...

As parties will however, this one too had to go on, so I went ahead and made two fluted crusts, baked them ten minutes and filled with the divine herby onion mix, topped with a design of anchovies and oil-cured olives, and baked a spell. Good god if every one at the party didn't yelp with delight when the first and then the second arrived. And tasty they were, if I do say so myself.

I guess the hardest part of pissaladiere is mustering the determination - all else is really cake.

[rosejoy]

I'm sorry... how disappointing and frustrating. It sounds as though either your yeast was bad or your water was too hot. Another possibility is that the environment was too cold. Hope your party was a success anyway.

Happy new year to you

Edited January 2, 2006 by rosejoy (log)

[Tkrup]

Well I did chuck the first batch and start over with my third and last packet of Fleischman's 'dry active,' which sorta gently bloomed. I left that and the cup and a half of flour I had left to rise; when it didn't, I punched it down anyway and let it 'rise' some more - but the dough didn't seem to budge much. The yeast expiration date was 2007...

As parties will however, this one too had to go on, so I went ahead and made two fluted crusts, baked them ten minutes and filled with the divine herby onion mix, topped with a design of anchovies and oil-cured olives, and baked a spell. Good god if every one at the party didn't yelp with delight when the first and then the second arrived. And tasty they were, if I do say so myself.

I guess the hardest part of pissaladiere is mustering the determination - all else is really cake.

←

Whenever I get a bad rise, I just tell people it was meant to be thin crust... The caramelized onions are really the star of the dish though. Glad everyone liked them!!

Happy New Year!

[FoodMan]

I have another question: what kind of anchovies? regular jarred oil packed ones? Or the nice fat salt-packed anchovies?

I used the recipe from Alford's and Duguid's baking book (using a yeatsed dough) and regular oil-packed anchovies. The only problem I had with the recipe is WAY TOO MUCH anchovies. I could not taste anything else. I will be making it again with less fish. So, I have those nice big salt-packed ones, should I use those?

As for yeast, I only use the "instant" yeast (aka Breadmachine yeast) from Fleishmann's. Non of that foaming in water crap, just add to the dry ingredients, and you use less than half the amount of active dry AND the jar sells for the same price as active dry yeast.

[Tkrup]

I have another question: what kind of anchovies? regular jarred oil packed ones? Or the nice fat salt-packed anchovies?

I used the recipe from Alford's and Duguid's baking book (using a yeatsed dough) and regular oil-packed anchovies. The only problem I had with the recipe is WAY TOO MUCH anchovies. I could not taste anything else. I will be making it again with less fish. So, I have those nice big salt-packed ones, should I use those?

As for yeast, I only use the "instant" yeast (aka Breadmachine yeast) from Fleishmann's. Non of that foaming in water crap, just add to the dry ingredients, and you use less than half the amount of active dry AND the jar sells for the same price as active dry yeast.

←

Salt packed are supposed to be the best, but I can't get 'em, so I use the best quality oil packed I can find.

In my opinion, you can never have enough anchovies, but if they're too fishy for you, try soaking them in water for about an hour, with a change of water every fifteen minutes. That should replace the saltiness with the sublime flavor you're looking for. If they're still too salty, try soaking them overnight like you would bacalhao.

[pissaladiere]

Hi,

Given my on-line name, I can say that I have made a few of these. Although somewhat daunting it really is hard to go wrong with Pissaladiere. I have had fine, although not that authentic, results using a puff pastry crust. I like a yeast dough that is shaped into a thin crust. I have had great results with the recipe on the America's Test Kitchen website. (it uses rapid rise yeast) In fact, I liked the crust so much, that I use it for all my pizzas now. The sweetness of perfectly caramelized onions, salty anchovies, briny olives, and a crispy crust that holds it altogether. Sounds perfect to me.