FRESH BREAD FOR SHAVUOT

Because cheese features so prominently in Shavuot cuisine, what could be more appropriate than preparing high-quality, fresh bread to eat with all the special cheeses we’ve bought especially for the upcoming holiday? I’ve noticed that many people put great emphasis on cakes, quiches and salads when preparing their festive Shavuot meals. Some people buy tasty artisanal breads at specialty stores, but with a little extra effort, we can be prepare these unique breads at home. And so this year, I would like to offer you three different recipes to make artisanal bread at home for Shavuot. You can make them round or elliptical, and you’ll no doubt feel ebullient about the resulting crispy brown crust that hides a soft, airy interior.

Anyone who has prepared bread at home knows that there are two types yeast that can be used to bake bread: regular and sourdough. Preparing sourdough bread requires that you have sourdough yeast starter, and also lots of time and patience. In theory, preparing the starter is simple: You mix together flour and water and let it sit for several days. It will naturally start bubbling and fermenting. Another option is to prepare a “poolish” (wet sponge) bread starter.

I know that many of my readers are not willing to deal with making complex bread starters, and therefore I’m only going to include here recipes that do not require preparing yeast or poolish starters. I’ve done countless trials without them, and found that great bread can be baked inside a pot.

At first, I tried making bread in a heavy iron pot, which allows for even cooking and a tight seal throughout the baking process. But I soon found that I was also successful even when I didn’t bake the bread in a heavy iron pot that closed tightly.

Another factor that affects a bread’s texture is the amount of time the bread is left to rise. The longer dough is left to rest and rise, the better the bread turns out.

In my opinion, there’s something very special about serving our friends and loved ones fresh bread that was baked at home. First of all, there’s the intense aroma that wafts through your entire home when you bake bread in your oven. And when you slice a piece of home-made bread from a loaf with a crunchy outer crust, everyone’s mouth begins to water upon hearing that sound.

And after slicing the bread, you can spread on top your favorite cream cheese, butter, jam or pesto. When you take your first bite, it’s as if a symphony of flavors has begun playing inside your mouth.

Below, I will take you step by step in order to teach you how to reach these perfect flavors.

Bread is the most nutritious and simple food, a staple throughout the world, and its ingredients can be found in the pantry of every home: flour, water, salt and yeast or rising agents. A wide variety of breads can be created with these few basic materials. Bread has a touch of holiness. We say a blessing over challot on Friday nights and we welcome guests by offering them bread and salt.