Parchment Bread Recipes

SARDINIAN PARCHMENT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F at least 40 minutes before baking.
• In a large bowl combine flours and salt and mix ingrediants thoroughly.
• Slowly add water, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft dough (you many not need to add all the water.) With your hands, work the dough into a ball.
• Place on a clean, floured work surface and knead for about one minute.
• The dough should be firm and pliable, not sticky.
• Divide the dough evenly into 12 balls.
• Place the balls on a lightly floured surface.
• Flatten each ball into a thick 4-inch pancake.
• Generously flour the work surface and with with a heavy-duty rolling pin roll each portion of the dough as thin as possible into an 8" to 9" round.
• These breads are meant to be roughly shaped.
• Thinness is more important than the shape.
• The dough should be thin enough to see your hand through it.
• Place several rounds of dough on an ungreased baking sheet and place in the oven or place on a baking stone with a baker's peel.
• Bake until the top of the bread is firm and lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Baking time will vary and will also depend on the number of breads placed in the oven.
• With tongs or your fingers, turn the bread over and bake until the other side is slighly browned, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• (The bread should be rather bumpy, puffy, and irregular, with occaisional pockets full of air.) Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool.
• Repeat wtih the remaining rounds of dough.
• The bread cools quickly and can be served immediately.

CURRIED PARCHMENT BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Warm butter in saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and onion; cook until very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in spices and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat; allow to cool.
• In a food processor, pulse flour and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add shortening; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, gradually add 5 tablespoons of spice mixture; process until the dough comes together.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; divide into four equal parts. Roll out dough as thinly as possible into a 9 1/2-by-11-inch rectangle. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet; bake for 10 minutes. Turn, and bake an additional 5 minutes, until firm. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Store in airtight plastic container.