Monday, August 31, 2009

Italian Ring Bread with Hatch Chiles and Roasted Garlic

Every year at this time, we enjoy the arrival of hatch chiles from New Mexico. They appear in our grocery stores, and we look forward to using as many of them as we can before they’re gone for another year. Our nearby Central Market sets up big, rotating roasters, and the smell of chiles fills the parking lot. You can buy the chiles fresh or roasted and bagged, and they’re available in hot and mild. They’re also used in all kinds of products throughout the store such as hatch chile hamburger buns, hatch chile cheese, hatch chile sausages, etc. So, in honor of these chiles, and just because it had been too long, an Austin food blogger potluck was held on Sunday, and the dishes were to be hatch chile-themed. Now, the last time I attended a food blogger potluck, I decided I should only use tried and true recipes. This time I went another way, got a little experimental, and worried even more about what I made. My sourdough starter hadn’t been used for weeks, and I had never before shared any of my sourdough bread with anyone other than Kurt. So I chose to experiment with a hatch chile and garlic bread and let other people sample it for a change. I took inspiration from a roasted garlic bread by Dan Lepard and once again worked from the Breads from the La Brea Bakery book.

I followed the recipe for the Italian ring bread, but instead of folding chopped marjoram into the dough, I used chopped, roasted hot and mild hatch chiles and whole cloves of roasted garlic. This dough made use of both sourdough starter and fresh yeast, so I hoped it would have enough strength to rise with the vegetables I added. The recipe is written as a two-day bread, but there is a 12 hour waiting time on the second day. I timed it out to make it a three-day bread instead. Day one only required making a sponge from starter, bread flour, and water. On day two, the dough was made from the sponge, fresh yeast, bread flour, salt, olive oil, chiles, and roasted garlic. It started as what I thought was a slightly too dry dough, but after adding the vegetables, it seemed slightly too wet and sticky. I kneaded in a little more flour and crossed my fingers.

It went through the usual rituals of resting, kneading, fermenting, being divided, resting again, and then being formed into boules which were refrigerated overnight. On day three, the dough was brought up to room temperature and then turned out onto a board. A peel was floured so a boule could be loaded on it, and then a hole was cut in the center of the boule with a biscuit cutter. The hole was to be stretched to three times its original size, and the piece of dough removed was baked as a roll. Luckily, I baked one loaf at a time because the first one suffered from the hole not being made large enough. It closed in on itself like a giant bialy, but I got it right the second time. Of course, the oven was spritzed a couple of times during the first five minutes of baking, and that produced a crispy, crackly outer crust.

The interior was chewy and similar in texture to ciabatta although less open in structure. With the chiles and garlic, each piece of bread was almost a meal in itself, and I liked that about it. I think this bread with some cheese on the side would be great for a picnic. One loaf was taken to the potluck, and the other will be re-warmed and served with salad for dinner tonight. I survived presenting my homemade bread to a group of food bloggers, and they were even kind enough to say they liked it.

I’m submitting this to Yeastspotting where you’ll find some seriously well-made bread.




35 comments:

  1. Oh Lisa, that looks just heavenly. I have heard so much about hatch chiles and this looks like just the perfect use for them. Your breadmaking skills are to be admired!

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  2. So much garlic! Love that for this bread. It sounds super savory. Is that even possible?

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  3. you are torturing me - you know that dont you?

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  4. That hatch chili sounds really good Lisa. And, your bread using this chilie and garlic must tasted really awesome.

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  5. Could be perfect for halloween? it really looks delicious.

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  6. That looks so awesome. Garlic and chiles in bread. Works for me. Can I have one of the roll you made from the center piece. It just my size. hehehe...

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  7. Delicious bread with Hatch chiles! I was lucky to get some Hatch chiles for the first time and really enjoying cooking with them!

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  8. What magnificent flavors! A gourmet bread!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  9. Oh, Hatch chiles! How do I miss thee--let me count the ways!

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  10. I loooooooooooove garlic in bread, it's a winner combination.

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  11. That's a very interesting bread. I love to add spices to my bread dough to avoid boredom. Hehe. I've never had Hatch chiles before, I need to expand my chile collection.

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  12. The bread was wonderful and I really wanted a big bowl of soup to dunk it in. Great job!

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  13. when i commit three days to something, it better turn out darn delicious, and i'm glad this worked out for you! i adore chiles in all forms, and the fact that you can stuff them into sourdough bread has heretofore escaped me. thanks for the idea and lovely post!

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  14. Wow. This looks gorgeous! I especially love the picture of the unbaked bread with the bits of green peeking out from the dough. Congrats...

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  15. I've never really cooked with chiles, but I bet this bread is tasty. It might be nice in a cornbread too. I just picked up Breads from the La Brea Bakery. Can't wait to try out the sourdough bread!

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  16. Yummie, this garlic bread looks fantastic...simply delicious!

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  17. The crust looks just how I like it...crusty!

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  18. wow, I have those molds, and have never thought of doing that with bread, well I only just am revisiting bread making, but what a great combination...hungry now...I also as usual have blog catching up to do on here...and I see pasta...

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  19. I keep hearing about Hatch chiles and will have to try and get my hands on some! I'm completely impressed by your bread baking skills - your loaf looks SO tasty!!

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  20. Wow! That sounds like the most flavorful bread! I love the idea of using chiles in the bread!

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  21. I remember the roasting of chiles when I lived in Tucson. I lived across the street from a supermarket and the smell would permeate my house. This is a beautiful bread! The crust is wonderful!

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  22. Damn. That is one fine looking crust. I can only imagine how good it tastes.

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  23. This sounds INCREDIBLE! I would LOVE this bread with a hunk of good cheese! I also esp LOVE that little crack on the crust...must make a very crispy and real artisan crust!

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  24. This IS like a portable meal in one! A good triple cream and you're good to go. Mmmmmm!

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  25. Wow, awesome! Look at that crunchy crackly shell! Let me at it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  26. Great commentary and step by step prep instructions. Bread is amazing -- so simple and yet so complex.

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  27. That looks fabulous and delicious. I miss the southwest, and never more so than when Hatch chiles come into season and I'm now halfway across the country.

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  28. wow lisa!! vat a great idea of using chillies in ye bread!! yumm!! love the crust!

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  29. I am seeing hatch chillies in the blogs & just read about the festival they have in New Mexico. lovely southwestern flavors here. I wonder how the hatch chillies would taste.

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  30. That looks glorious! I've never had a hatch chili, but now it's on my list of things to try.

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  31. Wow, just wow! This bread looks tremendous but I am so envious about these Hatch chiles. Given their short availability, I wouldn't be surprised if there's so few left to ship up here to Minnesota!

    Until they do (and I develop the patience to make this bread), would you kindly consider sending me a slice or two? 8-D

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  32. Beautiful! I'm very much loving your Hatch green chili recipes, I'm in Southwest Colorado and we are in chili heaven at the moment!

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  33. THat is some awesome looking bread! Do you think you could tell me in which of Lepard's books this roasted garlic bread is explained?

    I have THe Handmade Loaf, but I don't think it's in there...

    THank you!

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  34. Perfect, perfect crust! I haven't heard of hatch chilies. I wonder if we don't get them here, or am I just not paying attention?

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