SC - Domestroi

[david friedman]

Sitting here enjoying the fruits of two days of patience, I though I
would share the recipe for what the Parisians call Persian Flatbread
(bappi (sic?) it ain't).

The bread produced is a medium brown loaf about nine inches in diameter
and an inch and a half high with a hard crust and a lovely soft
interior.  It is a very flavorful bread without a single overpowering
taste.  Served hot from the oven with butter, it was worth the wait.

Enjoy
Bear

                   Galette Persane  (Persian Flatbread)

Recipe By     : Bernard Clayton Jr., The Breads of France
Serving Size  : 3 
 
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
- --------  ------------  --------------------------------
   				STARTER
   1      package       dry yeast
   1      cup           water (70-75 F)
   1 1/2  cups          whole wheat flour
                        ------
				SPONGE
                        all of the starter
   1      cup           water (70-75 F)
   1 1/2  cups          whole wheat flour
                        ------
				DOUGH
                        all of the sponge
   2      teaspoons     salt
     1/2  cup           water (70-75 F)
   1      tablespoon    olive oil
     1/3  cup           wheat germ
   2 1/2  cups          unbleached flour

READ THE NOTES BEFORE YOU START

Starter:
Dissolve the yeast in the water.
Pour in the flour and blend to make a thick batter.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature (70-75 F)
for 24 hours.

Sponge:
Pour all of the starter in a large bowl.
Add water and whole wheat flour to make a thick batter.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap  and leave at room temperature (70-75 F)
for a minimum of 12 hours to a maximum of 24 hours.  The longer the
rise, the more robust the flavor.

Dough:
Stir down sponge.
Add salt, water, olive oil and wheat germ.  Blend with sponge.
Add flour 1/2 cup at a time.  Stir with wooden spoon or plastic scraper.
When the dough gets to stiff to stir, sprinkle with flour and work it
with the hands.
When the dough is a solid body, remove it from the bowl to a lightly
floured kneading surface.
Knead with a push-turn-fold motion.  Add sprinkles of flour if the dough
is sticky.  Knead about 7 minutes.

Return the dough to a clean, greased bowl. 
Cover and allow to rise until double in volume.  About 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a baking sheet or use a non-stick baking sheet.
Punch down dough.  Knead to press out bubbles.
Divide into three equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball.
Press each ball into a disk roughly 6 inches in diameter and 3/4 of an
inch thick.  Put on baking sheet.
Cover the galettes and leave at room temperature (70-75 F) until double
in volue.  About 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
With a sharp blade (razor) make 4 1/2 inch deep cuts across each loaf.
Make 4 more cuts 90 degrees to the first cuts.
Bake on middle shelf until golden brown.  About 40 minutes.
Remove and cool on a metal rack.
To serve, break galette along the cuts.   

                   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

NOTES : This recipe takes two days and a couple of hours to prepare.  It
creates a starter to make a sponge to make the dough.  

Make sure the bowls are large enough.  The starter and the sponge will
rise and fall during their  rises.  In particular, the starter may be
more than three times its original size.

The dough is soft and very sticky.  Keep your flour sprinkler handy.
Use it sparingly, but regularly.


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