Jan 09 2010
Bread is Life
When I opened Fazio’s Trattoria on Main street in Hyannis in 1989 after leaving San Francisco, it became clear that there were no bakeries producing the rustic loaves I was used to using in the North Beach where I ran Italian kitchens for ten years. I began the process of developing the rustic loaves that I bake today.
Flour is the key to my success. I use only King Arthur Special Blend, “Never Bleached, Never Bromated”. This is hard red spring wheat from the great plains 12-13% protein. All purpose flours simply do not come near this level. High protein is necessary to build strong gluten. We’ll get to to that later. The second element is yeast. I use a natural yeast in my bread combined with a commercial yeast. Natural or “wild” yeast is a naturally occurring spore found in the air. Not found in sterile environments, it thrives in well-used bakeries. Fazio’s is housed in a former bakery, making it an ideal environment for baking bread. The commercial yeast, which is basically a sugar-eating fungus, provides a strong and predictable method to make the bread rise. The natural yeast, although unpredictable, gives our bread large holes, light texture, and great flavor. Back to the gluten. The gluten produced by the high protein content of the flour provide a strong elastic web to contain the large CO2 air bubbles produced by the wild yeast, and the alcohol produced in this process gives our bread a slightly sour taste. Temperature is the last leg of our process. When I work with wild yeast it is important to control the temperature. The ideal temperature is 75 degrees F, ensuring a slow rise. This means averaging the temperature of the room and flour, allowing for the friction of the mixer, and adjusting the water temperature to get a final product that is 75 degrees. Salt is an important part of my bread. However, because salt kills yeast, it must be added last in the mixing process. What I have described here is a combination of commercial yeast bread and a sour dough levan method. If you are interested in baking rustic bread “The Village Baker” by Joe Ortiz is a serious start. Also, check out www.kingarthurflour.com
Next time you eat out, take a moment and consider the bread you are being served. You would be surprised to know that the majority of restaurants serve frozen par-baked breads. These products are so processed that they provide less nutritional value. We bake our bread fresh daily. Come taste the difference. Bread, after all, is life.
- Chef Tomasso