My second loaf of bread, Pane Siciliano, was complex.
Over the weekend the dough went through three stages of fermentation and proofing. Most of the time is spent waiting for the dough to do something.
Shaping it was tricky, because if I rolled the dough too much, or pushed it too hard, it would degas.1 If the dough lost the gas created by the yeast, the holes would disappear and the flavor would change.
The bread is pretty good with dips and oils, except the bottom is a bit crispy. Because the loaf is freestanding, I need a buy a baking stone to stop it from burning.
I’m happy with the way it looks and tastes. The book I have is excellent.
1. Who knew degas was a word? Because of school, I only see Edward Degas, but I’m guessing it’s de-gas, as in gasoline. I will use it from now on in this context: “It stinks. Did you just degas?”