Q-I would like to make breads like those they sell at D`Amato`s Bakery on Grand Avenue in Chicago. The crust is very chewy and firm while the bread is nicely textured. I`ve tried making Italian and French breads at home, with recipes from good cookbooks, but they haven`t turned out anything like those from D`Amato`s. Do you have any suggestions?
G. Ramuzzo, Chicago.
A-Well, you could begin by building a brick-lined wood burning oven. That would be the first step, but obviously an impractical one. Nick D`Amato, owner of D`Amato`s explains that despite the fact that bread is essentially made from just four ingredients: flour, water, salt and yeast, it is very difficult for the home baker to duplicate the types of breads that are made at bakeries.
Bakeries often begin the breadmaking process with a natural yeast starter which might be years old; they use a special blend of flour; they have professional equipment and they have lots of experience.
Despite D`Amato`s cautions, it is quite possible to make excellent breads at home. There are several things you can do at home to improve the quality of your homebaked breads. Though you likely won`t have access to a brick oven, you can line the baking rack of a gas or electric oven with terra cotta baking stones or unglazed quarry tiles. Generally, the tiles are about 3-inches square. Cookware shops may carry ones made especially for baking but these are no different (just more expensive) than the ones sold at tile stores.
The tiles will distribute the heat more evenly and absorb moisture from the bottom crust, resulting in a crisper, crunchier crust. To take full advantage of them, breads should be baked directly on the stone rather than in a bread pan. This will take some practice. The use of a long-handled wooden paddle will make it easier to transfer the bread dough to the oven.
For a few short minutes before the crust forms, steam inside the oven also helps contribute to a nicely textured crust. To create steam, fill a spray bottle with water and spray the loaves 2 to 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking or until a crust has formed.
And finally, bear in mind that speeding along the rising process will not help the bread whatsoever. Many professional bakers advise against using the newly formulated yeasts which hasten the rising time. Instead, use granulated yeast or better yet, cake yeast. Then, let the bread dough rise slowly in a warm but not hot place. Sixty-five to seventy degrees is ideal.
An excellent reference book for making authentic Italian breads at home is ”The Italian Baker” by Carol Field (Harper & Row, $19.95).
Q-I notice that baking powder has a date stamped on the bottom of the can. Does this mean that it goes bad after that date? I don`t use it very often and wonder if old baking powder could be responsible for some cakes and cookies that I made recently which were miserable failures.
F. Reuss, Arlington Heights.
A-According to Wolff Doerry of the American Institute of Baking, baking powder is fairly stable. It doesn`t go bad per se, but it will lose its effectiveness over time. Humidity also causes the leavening power of baking powder to diminish.
An old high school chemistry experiment called for mixing a small amount of baking powder with warm water to test if it is still viable. Doerry advises that this is not the most accurate test but one that can be used. According to Doerry, however, some of the reactive chemicals in baking powder will sink to the bottom of the can over time. Doerry advises storing the tightly sealed can upside down so that if they do sink, they will be at the top of the can. Or shake the can before using it.
At home, Doerry admitted that if he suspected that his baking powder was old, he would simply increase the amount called for in the recipe. But that comes from a food technologist who is well versed in the chemistry of cooking. At home, it is best not to fiddle with the proportions of baking powder. Instead, buy baking powder in small quantities, keep it tightly sealed, shake it up before using it and replace it if you suspect that it is old.
Q-When a recipe says peel and seed a tomato, is it absolutely necessary?
To me, it just seems like a waste of time.
G. Jenks, Oak Lawn.
A-Most of the time, you can skip the additional steps of peeling and seeding a tomato if the aesthetics don`t bother you. It is often just a reflection of the author`s preference that these steps are included in a recipe. Although peeling and seeding the tomato will result in a more refined dish, the recipe will most likely not be a failure if you decide to omit a few of the more time consuming steps.
In some recipes where seeding is specified, the seeds and juice of a tomato might add too much liquid. If it is a cooked sauce, that can easily be corrected by additional cooking time. However, in an uncooked sauce, the amount of liquid might need adjustment.
Comment: Late last year, we answered a query as to where one could get White Lily flour, a southern staple for baking which some cooks feel makes better cakes, cookies and biscuits than any other flour. Much to our surprise, but even more so to the the folks at White Lily, Chicagoans wanted that stuff in a big way! Letters poured into White Lily by the bagful.
Well, the first orders of flour must just be running out. In the last several weeks, we have had a handful of calls and letters asking for the address and ordering information. Here it is: A five-pound bag of White Lily plain all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, unbleached self-rising flour or unbleached bread flour costs $3.00 per bag east of the Mississippi River, $4.00 west of Big Muddy. The price is all inclusive, including shipping and handling. Send a check or money order to White Lily Foods, Post Office Box 871, Knoxville, Tenn. 37901. They also have a new recipe booklet available called ”Classic Biscuit Recipes” which includes tips and recipes for lighter-than-air Southern-style biscuits. They will send the booklet at no charge. Write to the above address for a copy.
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If you have a food question, please send it to Cook`s Dialogue, Food Department, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611. We cannot answer individual letters, but will print answers of general interest.
