Zucchini Yeast Bread final take

Hello loyal follower(s)

     Yesterday Mr Nut finally was satisfied with his revised Zucchini bread recipe.  The large, overlooked Zucchinis that hide in the foliage  make great bread.

This beauty would yield six one and a half pound loaves.

By using parchment paper under the dough during the second fermentation, the transfer to the HOT Dutch ovens worked well when the parchment paper was used as a sling.

The Dutch ovens were at 450℉ at the point where it was time to place the dough in them.

After 45 minutes in the Dutch ovens the loaves were removed and the parchment paper was also removed ( to be used again in the future).  Here, the loaves had started the 10-15 minutes of continued baking, just on the aluminum foiled shelf.

The result were very tasty.  The crumb was discolored (pinkish) by the Zucchini, and the bottom looked burned, but it was only the honey that caused the crust to darken.


In any case the bread was a winner.

Recipe follows:


À bientôt,

Mr Nut

Zucchini (yeast based) Rustic Artisan Bread 

In blog July13, 2011 revised Aug 2, 2011

Yield two seven inch,  28 ounce Rounds

European style: (Crisp-crust; various size air spaces)

Inspired by Jim Lahey’s My Bread and 

Cook's Illustrated website (Published September 1, 2003 )

Modified for a Cuisinart stand mixer, with speeds from 1 to 12

        Finally, Mr Nut found (in Canada) the perfect sized cast iron Dutch ovens. They are 3.3L 


or 3.48 quarts.  The most important measurement was the inside bottom diameter, which was


 6.75 inches. The inside top diameter was 8 inches and the depth was 4.5 inches. 

       This recipe provides freedom of choice with timing and techniques.  It is possible to start




 this bread anytime of the day and modify or delay the fermentation time to meet your





schedule
. 

Zucchini, what can Mr Nut say, plant Zucchini and the overrun everything.   The oversized




 ones are especially good for this bread.

Bread flour is wheat flour minus the germ the bran leaving only the endosperm. The




 endosperm contains the two proteins needed for making gluten.      By using delayed




 fermentation with the dough (3 to 10 hours) the bran in the kamut flour softens, which




 decreases the tearing of the gluten sheets.  Long fermentation




at room temperature eliminates kneading and allows for the yeast to work its magic.  

The following (optional) natural healthful ingredients are added to improve




 bread volume or  taste 

Sea Salt, which contains additional minerals for better gluten development.

Dough Enhancer: self explanatory (see blog from April 5, 2011).      

Ingredients:

6 cups (30 oz, 840 g) flour bread flour

2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 cup Dough Enhancer

1 teaspoon instant dry yeast

1 cup ( 8 ounces) warm water

1/4 cup honey

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup finely chopped Craisons

1 1/2 cup Zucchini, peeled and shredded  in a food processor, if possible.

1. Mixing: In the mixer bowl using the Chef’s Whisk at speed one, mix the blue ingredients.  Change to the Flat Paddle Blade on speed 1 and add the cold water.  Minimize mixing time.  
2. Mix the red ingredients together and then add to the blue ingredients.  
3. Mix the green ingredients together and add it to the dough.
4. First fermentation is at room temperature (equal or greater than 72℉) for 12 to 18 hours. Again, make the time fit your time schedule, even 12 hours is workable.
5. Deflate dough:  Gently press down on center of dough to deflate. Holding edge of dough with fingertips, fold dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky. For three more times, turn bowl quarter turn; fold again. (maximum of 4 folds). Remove the dough from the bowl and form a round.  Cut the dough into two pieces and again form rounds.
6. Second Fermentation: Set out two 15-inch square of baking parchment paper. Then generously dust them with flour. Invert the rounds into the center of the parchment papers. Generously dust the dough with more flour. Using the parchment paper as a sling, transfer the loaf to a skillet or  bowl just slightly smaller in diameter than the Dutch oven to be used. Cover the dough.   Let it ferment for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the dough doubles from the deflated size.
7. Preparing the oven: About twenty minutes before the end of the second fermentation, place the “Dutch oven” type pots in the oven on the rack just below the midpoint of the height of the oven and preheat the oven to 450℉.  If you have a pizza stone, place it on the lowest oven rack ( makes a heat sink). NOTE: If you are using a hard-anodized aluminum Dutch Ovens, you may want to adjust the temperature down  to 425℉, and maybe decrease the baking time. This recipe is based on cast Iron pots with  base diameter of 6.75 inches. 
8. Baking: Use the parchment paper as a sling and carefully lower the dough with the parchment paper under the dough, into the HOT Dutch ovens. Bake on the middle rack for 50 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven lids.  Lift the loaves from the pots using the parchment paper as a sling, Remove the parchment paper and place the loaves on the middle oven shelf on a piece of aluminum foil.  Cover the tops with heavy duty aluminum.  Bake until the crust is a rich chestnut color, and the internal temperature of the loaf is about 200℉. (about 20 to 25 minutes longer).   Note: the appearance of the loaf is more important in determining the doneness of the loaf than the internal temperature (from Cook's illustrated magazine, May-June 2011 page 31).
9. Remove the loaf from the oven and place them on a rack to cool thoroughly. Don't slice the bread until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.