Saturday kneading

Winter time is the period for indulging the joys of country life.

That’s why Sunday is the day for bread baking, good bread that lasts an entire week. Our sourdough was resting in a jar by the fireplace since last weekend, as a sly cat. The recipe is so simple that it just had flour and water fermenting.

Saturday evening, it’s time to awaken our natural yeast. By adding flour and warm water, we begin kneading. For our family, we typically use about six kilos of flour.

Sunday is quickly approaching, and our dough is returned to the fireplace. It rests and rises overnight. Natural rising, without the use of yeast, requires more time, but we don’t rush. We can bid farewell to our dough as we go to bed.

Sunday baking

Buongiorno!  Today, we’re not having a big breakfast. The feast will come later. After a good espresso, while we’re starting the fire in the oven, we shape the dough into loaves, fold them one last time, and letting them rise again for a couple of hours. During this time, the top of the oven will turn white, indicating that the temperature is right. We can then remove the fire and embers, clean the surface, and start baking.

All of the loaves must fit inside the oven or they’ll be wasted. The temperature is just right for one batch, so this is a delicate step that needs to be done gently but quickly. We need to seal the oven as soon as possible.

After an hour, the magic happens. As the smell spreads out of the oven, curious people will come out of their homes to get a taste.

Buona Domenica!