Make the Best Bread & Pizza’s in the Galley

Home Baked Bread, courtesy of allrecipes.com

There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh, home baked bread wafting from the galley, and it’s surprisingly cheap, quick and easy to do!  I’ve tried a few different bread recipes & techniques now and this one’s my favourite by far!  It takes about 2 hours in total, there’s no real kneading involved and you only use one bowl so mess is kept to a minimum.  The recipe is versatile enough to make flavoured breads using extras such as cheese & onion or olives, and to make pizza bases!

Here in the Caribbean, away from the famous French Boulangeries found on the French Islands, it’s surprisingly difficult to buy good quality crusty bread.  Supermarket bakers invariably produce a soft crusted bread, made worse by the fact that it’s stored and sold in a plastic bag!  We’re lucky enough to have temperatures very conducive to yeast fermentation & melting butter, but you might need assistance from a warm engine compartment or stove top depending on where you sail.



The most difficult thing about cooking on board is getting your oven really hot which also makes it hard to get a crispy crust to your bread.  You can overcome this by using a “wet” dough recipe or by misting the oven with water early in the baking process so as to steam the bread initially.  I’ve also had success by baking a loaf inside a casserole dish (covered with the lid) to keep in the steam at the beginning of cooking.

Home-made Deli Sandwich

I originally cribbed the following recipe for French Baguettes from Allrecipes.com so many thanks for sharing, Judy Taubert.  I’ve changed Judy’s technique slightly as I don’t use a bread machine.  I wouldn’t exactly liken the result to boulangerie baguettes, but they work well every tme and have a great texture & flavour.

The following recipe will make 2 good sized baguettes, enough for sandwiches for 6 for lunch, bread/toast for breakfast or an evening meal accompaniment.  It’s easily doubled to make extra for the next day, although this will mean baking in 2 batches.

This recipe will also make 8 large rolls for breakfast, or two fairly deep pan pizza bases for lunch.

Ingredients

•    1 cup water
•    2 1/2 cups bread flour
•    1 tablespoon white sugar
•    1 teaspoon salt
•    1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast
•    1 egg yolk
•    1 tablespoon water

Directions

1.    Dissolve the yeast in the cup of hand hot water in a small bowl.
2.    In a large bowl mix together the bread flour, sugar and salt and pour the yeasty water.  Mix well, using your hands and kneading gently in the bowl to thoroughly combine all the ingredients.
3.    Holding the dough in one hand, pour in a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil and use a piece of kitchen roll to oil the sides of the bowl – it should be pretty clean as all the ingredients are in your dough ball. Cover with cling film, and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. The dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched.
4.    Punch down the dough with your fist to knock out some of the air. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a 16x12 inch rectangle (if you don’t have a rolling pin an empty rum bottle works a treat). Cut the dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles.
5.    Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes with a sharp knife across the loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf.
6.    Cover lightly with cling film – you need to allow room for the dough to rise so that it won’t stick to the cling film.  Let it rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
7.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves and sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, oats or other grains if you like to.
8.    Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. If you can manage to throw in a handful of water into the oven a couple of times during cooking this will help to give a crispier crust.

Herb Bread

Variations:

Brown Bread

Substitute one cup of the bread flour for wholemeal or multigrain flour.

Bread Rolls

During stage 5, after rolling into two long sausages, cut each into 4 and shape into rounds.  Space well on the baking sheet.

Flavoured Breads

At the end of stage 4 sprinkle the dough rectangles with any of the following before proceeding with stage 5:

•    Cheese & Onion Bread - a cup of grated cheese and half a cup of finely chopped onions or shallots.
•    Olive Bread – half a cup of finely chopped olives.
•    Anchovy Bread – one third of a cup of finely chopped anchovies
•    Rosemary Bread – 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, bruised in a pestle & mortar with 2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh garlic

Pizzas

At the end of stage 4 put the rectangles on baking sheets without rolling into sausages, brush with a teaspoon or two of olive oil, and poke them with your fingers to create a dimpled effect.  Top with some Passata (tomato puree specially for pizzas) and your favourite toppings, e.g. any combination of sliced tomato, basil, garlic, chopped cooked chicken, etc. etc. and a good smattering of cheese - can be a mixture, but including mozzarella.

Bake in a hot oven for 15 to 25 minutes.

Home-made Pizza

Simples!

Let me know how you go with these recipes, and any variations you’ve tried!