Italian bread bowl



Yield: 4 bread bowls

Ingredients:
270g warm water, about 35 degree C
1 tsp raw sugar
2 tsp dry yeast
440g all-purpose flour
Dash of oregano powder
9g or 3 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp milk, as milk wash for brushing the bread

Directions:

1. Mix all- purpose flour and dash of oregano together. Set aside.


Add oregano powder to the flour
and mix well.

2. Mix warm water with sugar and yeast. Let it stand for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.


Acitivating the yeast before adding
flour.

3. Pour in olive oil and salt, then follow by 1/2 the quantity of flour. Mix well before adding the next batch of flour. Each addition of flour is half the quantity of the remaining flour.
When most of the flour has became crumbs, stop adding flour and try to gather the crumbs into a big lump. Leave about 2 to 3 tsp of flour to adjust the moisture of the dough.


Stop adding flour, when you see
these small lumps.

Keep behind some flour for adjusting
the moisture of the dough.

To adjust the moisture of the dough:
>If the dough is too sticky, add a teaspoon of flour at a time.
>If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time.

4. When all the ingredients have combined into a lump, use an electric mixer fixed with dough hooks to knead. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. This may take about 10 to 15 minutes.


Use a pair of dough hooks to knead

5. On a parchment paper, apply some oil. Shape the bread dough into a ball and place on the greased parchment paper. Proof the dough in a rice cooker for 50 minutes. Switch on the 'keep warm' mode of the rice cooker for 5 minutes then switch off.
You may also keep the dough in a big bowl to proof at warm room temperature. Sprinkle some water on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough proof for about 1 hour.



Proofing in a container covered with
a transparent lid or film.

6. To test whether the proofing is done, insert your index finger coated with flour into the middle of the dough. If the hole does not close up after you remove your finger, then the proofing is done. Otherwise, continue to proof for another 10 minutes and test again.

7. Divide the dough into 4 portions and shape into a ball. Place the 4 doughs on a parchment paper applied with a light coat of oil and sprinkled with oatmeal. Keep the doughs in the oven set at 35 degree Celsius to do the second proofing. Place a small cups of hot water in the oven to raise the humidity of the oven. The second proofing will take about 40 minutes.



Divide the dough into 4 portions



After applying a coat of oil,
sprinkle with some oatmeal.

Proofing in the oven, place a small
cup of hot water below.

8. Before baking, remove the dough from the oven, brush the surface with milk wash . Return the bread doughs to oven preheated to 200 degree Celsius. Bake for 15 minutes or till slightly brown.



Baking in the oven.

9. Take the breads out of the oven and re-apply another coat of milk wash. Continue to bake for another 15 minutes. When the oven bell rings, turn off the heat and let the bread stay in the oven for 5 minutes. Then open the oven door slightly for another 5 minutes.


Finish baking!

10. Cool the breads on a wire rack before cutting the top off and scoop the bread center out to serve with soup.


When the bread cools down, cut off the top and
scoop out the centers.

Saving the centers of the bread:
1. Put all the bread centers in a plastic bag.

2. Melt 20g butter, 1 tsp sugar and pinch of salt with 2 minced garlic in a toaster oven.


Adding minced garlic to the
melted butter and sugar.

3. Drizzle the melted garlic butter onto the bread center crumbs and shake the plastic bag to spread evenly.

4. Spread the bread crumbs onto a tray lined with parchment paper. Toast them in high heat in a toaster oven for about 15 minutes.
Serve with soup :)


Drizzle the butter garlic onto the
bread centers.

Garlic butter bread crumbs.