dough

inspired by the first couple chapters of michael ruhlman's cookbook ratio, i wanted to make both fresh bread and fresh pasta tonight. making both isn't too difficult, since you make the bread dough far earlier than the pasta.

So first off bread... the basic ratio ruhlman suggests is 5:3 - that is 5 parts flour to 3 parts water by weight. before getting the book I always used 2 cups flour to 3/4 cup tepid water and 1 packet of yeast - works out to about the same thing. Salt and sugar is also added - several large pinches of each.

there's a ton of ways to bake a loaf of bread including  plenty of fancier methods which seem to yield better bread (according to the multitude of recipes available on the internet anyway). This one however is pretty straightforward and has yielded consistent results. I usually make two recipes of bread (so 4 cups flour, 1.5 cups of tepid water, two packets of yeast) and start by activating the yeast in the warm water with a teaspoon of sugar for 10 minutes. Then I mix  the ingredients and then knead them for at least 10 minutes. I don't really know what the proper way to knead is, and since i don't have a stand mixer, i just do what the guys on TV do. perhaps one of these days i'll learn the proper method, if there is one. after kneading, i let the dough rise a first time - minimum an hour - but ideally at least two hours. once the first rise is complete, i knock the air out of it and knead it again briefly before placing it into a loaf pan. then i let the dough rise a second time for again about two hours. now i gently place the pan into a heated oven at 450 for 10 minutes and then 375 for an additional 45 minutes or so. pull it out and you have a nice warm loaf of bread ready to eat. if anyone has any tips or suggestions on making better bread - i'm all ears.

pasta is another easy ratio, 3 parts flour, 2 parts egg (by weight). typically a large egg weigh's about two ounces, so the math is pretty easy. today i used half semolina flour and half all purpose. again recipes in cookbooks and the internet vary widely in the types of flour used (semolina, all purpose, 00 flour, bread flour, ect...) i found that this combo works quite well. you can also make more yolky pasta by substituting more yolks in for whole eggs, but generally the ratio remains about the same. again, after mixing, you knead for about 10 minutes and then let the dough rest for 30 minutes. after that you're ready to roll and cook. after rolling out the pasta, amity and I made wide pappardelle style noodles. cooking takes less than two minutes in salted boiling water with fresh pasta. i dressed the noodles with a mushroom mix (cremini, oyster and dried chanterelles) and topped the whole thing with fresh garlic breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parsley.