Seedy Pane Rustico

[Guest guest]

This was a recipe request on veg group, but I thought I'd share it

here too in case anyone wants to make some tasty rolls...

 

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I adapted this to be seedy from " The Italian Baker " by Carol Field and

it worked well. Hope you like it! They are somewhat flat and

pillow-shaped rolls, easier to shape for beginners than a " rolled "

roll. They are also sized for a sandwich, so if you want to use them

for dinner - go with maybe 3- or 4-inch squares, pressing the

rectangle to the appropriate width before you cut.

 

Seedy Pane Rustico

makes 8 large rolls

 

1/2 c cracked hard wheat berries

3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour (or the new white whole wheat is nice)

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 c warm water (110*F)

2 1/4 c whole wheat flour

1 tbsp salt

unbleached all purpose flour for kneading

seeds of your choice: sesame, poppy, sunflower, or a mix...

 

Soak the wheat berries in cold water for 1 to 3 days or pour boiling

water over the berries and let stand 6 to 8 hours. Drain the wheat

berries and process the berries and all-purpose flour in a food

processor or blender just until caorsely chopped. If too finely

chopped, the berries won't be crunchy.

 

Stir the yeast into the warm water in a mixing bowl; let stand until

creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the berry mixture. Mix the whole

wheat flour and salt and stir 2 cups at a time into the yeast mixture.

Stir until the dough is stiff and sticky. Knead on a surface floured

with all-purpose flour until dough is firm and elastic, but still

slightly tacky, 8 to 10 minutes.

 

First rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly

with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

 

Shaping and second rise: Punch the dough down on a lightly floured

surface and knead briefly. Shape into a long rectangle by flattening

it with your forearm (your hand works too, but it's slower!). Cut into

eight 5-inch squares (a bench knife** is best for this if you have one

- just press to cut, no sawing). Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet

(here is where I would use my silicone baking sheet liner). *Lightly*

brush the " pillows " with water and sprinkle with seeds; very gently

pat the seeds into the dough. Cover with a clean towel and let rise

until well-puffed and almost doubled, about 1 3/4 hours.

 

Baking: Heat oven to 450*F. Bake 10 minutes, spraying once with water

early, maybe 3 minutes in. Reduce the heat to 350*F and bake 15

minutes longer. Cool completely on racks.

 

 

**I've had many bench knives over the years, and here's a picture of

my favorite one. The handle is extremely comfortable and it's a joy

to use. http://tinyurl.com/z6lnc