EATING OUR FEELINGS
INGREDIENTS 356 g (1 ¾ cups) warm water 5 g (1 ¼ tsp) dry instant yeast 5.3 g (1 ½ tsp) salt 2.5 g (½ tsp) granulated sugar 2 g (½ tbsp) olive oil 550 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour, divided in two INSTRUCTIONS In a small bowl, combine warm wa- ter and yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer set up with the bread-hook at- tachment, combine salt, sugar, oil, and half the flour. When the yeast has bloomed (the grains will puff up and rise to the surface), pour it into the flour and turn the mixer to the lowest speed setting. After a few minutes, when the water is incor- porated, add the remaining flour; continue mix on low speed for sev- en minutes, until a smooth, sticky dough forms. Let the dough rest for five minutes, then transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and leave to proof at room temperature for two hours. When it has doubled in size, tip the dough onto a parchment-covered cut- ting board and shape into an oval. (I form the ends into pointed tips to match Romanow’s description of the bread’s shape.) Let the dough rise for another 40 minutes, uncovered. Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the loaf. With a sharp knife (or razor blade if you have it), make a vertical slash along the length of the loaf’s top, leaving a couple of inches at each end. Transfer the parchment with dough to the hot baking sheet. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. The bread is ready when the surface is copper-coloured and a knock on
PANE TOSCANO While challah and baguette play a huge part in Romanow’s life to- day, no one forgets their first love. The bread of her imagination, the bread of her heart, is the zulu bread that was the staple of her childhood. Unfortunately, the fam- ily recipe for it is lost. But working together, we’ve found, tested and adapted a recipe by Lynne Feifer that feels close. Finding no reference to zulu bread outside of a couple of Que- bec bakeries still making it today (spelled zoulou), I reached out to a chef friend, Dario Tomaselli. He’d never heard of it, and neither had the bakers he asked in Italy. He says zulu is often slang for “rough,” were mixed messages from my mom, who would say, Don’t mar- ry an Italian . Or my grandmother: she would always talk about ‘the Italians,’ not including herself.” These days, challah is Ro- manow’s preeminent bread. On Fridays, she’ll bake a loaf, work- ing to perfect her braiding tech- nique. As a Shabbat ritual, she enjoys a hunk spread with but- ter, shares it with her four-year- old, then makes French toast with it over the weekend. During the week, her default bread is ba- guette, readily available in cor- ner stores around her hometown of Montreal. “It would be a very sad life without bread,” says Romanow. “Whether it’s slathered in a good jam for breakfast, or having a sandwich, or Friday night din- ners. Not being able to do those things, there would be a bread- shaped hole in my life.”
suggesting the term was likely used as a synonym for “unsophisticated,” a derogatory reference to the ethnic group of South African origin. We might do better to call it a Tuscan bread, while including a footnote about its history. This recipe has a relatively low hydration rate (the percentage of liquid in dough, as measured by weight) of 39.2 percent, and is a testament to the magic of turn- ing flour and water into bread. The dough takes a few hours to rise: perfect for weekend mornings when you can start a baking proj- ect before everyone else wakes, and have it warm and ready to eat around lunchtime.
This Tuscan bread, in Romanow’s
childhood, was usually eaten on its own; it’s also delicious dipped in sauce.
the bottom sounds hollow. Slice and eat immediately.
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FOOD/PROP STYLING/PHOTOGRAPHY MARISA CURATOLO
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