Pane agli apinaci - spinach bread

12 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 Garlic cloves -- minced
2 tablespoons Olive oil -- scant
¾ cup Reserved spinach liquid
2½ teaspoon (1 pkg) active dry yeast
¼ teaspoon Sugar
2 10oz pkgs
Thawed, squeezed dry, --
Liquid reserved
¼ teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
3¾ cup Unbleached all-purpose
Flour
2½ teaspoon Salt
Frozen spinach,

Directions

Lightly saute the garlic in the oil and cool to room temp. Warm ¼ cup of the reserved spinach liquid to 105x-115xF. --By hand: Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm spinach liquid in a mixing bowl; let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup spinach liquid, which should be at room temp., the garlic with the oil, the spinach, and nutmeg and stir thoroughly. Mix the flour and salt and stir into the spinach mixtue. Knead on a floured surface, sprinkling with additional flour to absorb the moisture from the spinach, until the dough is well marbled, soft, and velvety. 8 to 10 minutes. --First rise. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, 1¼ to 1 ½ hours.Shaping and second rise. The dough will be even wetter after rising, because the spinach will have exuded more liquid. Pour the dough onto a floured work surface and flour the top of the dough. Don't punch it down or try to knead it. Shape into a round loaf or rolls the size of a fat lemon and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. --Baking> Heat the oven to 425xF. Slash a big V on toof the loaf with a razor. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400xF and bake the rolls 20 minutes and the loaf 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely on a rack. Chanteclar --suggest that you be sure to use the frozen chopped spinach - if you don't you won't be able to slice the bread.

:)

Makes 1 round loaf or 12 to 14 rolls. Posted by Chanteclar Recipe By : The Italian Baker by Carold Field File

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