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Braided Scali a favorite Boston Italian loaf

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Braided Scali a favorite Boston Italian loaf

I've made this bread many times as seen on my blog, with a biga naturale, overnight fermentation, braided loaves, rolls, and just as the recipe comes from the http://www.kingarthurflour.com bread site, listed in the recipes section.  Today I wanted to have a loaf ready for dinner and since I was making my usual sourdough loaves to try out in my iron combo cooker.  I prepared my biga and levains last night.  We love the nutty flavor of the Scali loaves with added sesame seeds.  I especially like making the Scali Hoagie rolls, they are just get for hot or cold sandwiches.  You can shape this bread just about any way you like, a member, weavershouse, does a beautifully perfect shaped batard scali.  The traditonal loaf is braided an very popular in the Italian Boston community of resturants and bakeries.

Just out of my oven and still to hot to slice, I made my usual plain sourdough @ 100% hydration that is one of Mike's favorites.  I tried it for the first time in my iron combo cooker.  The thing I notice most different for baking it in the combo cooker is the color of loaf..it can become a very rich dark/black tinged crust with a lovely mahogany hue.  I have another 5 qt. DO. but find it awkward to do two loaves at once...especially since the pots are so very hot, a lot of caution needs to be used.  My second loaf is just about ready to come out of the oven...went right in after the first came out without any problems.

 

                         Scali baking in the oven on a cookie sheet

 

                                       

 

                                         Scali crumb was still slightly warm as we enjoyed the bread with dinner tonight.

 

                                                                       

 

                           

 

                                                               2 Sourdough boules baked in my iron combo cooker.  The second one is still

                                                               baking and I will post it soon.

 

                                      Lovely deep mahogany color from using the combo cooker

 

                                                  

 

                        Second loaf just came out of the oven, was baked even bolder.

 

                                       

                        Sylvia

 

 

                               

Comments

happylina's picture
happylina

 

Hi Sylvia

 

Very beautiful breads

 

Braided Scali perfect braiding and perfect crumb!

 

So happy crack of your boules. They develope so good all have very nice color special patterns.

The second one Looks like coconut ball(^_^)

 

Happylina

 

OldWoodenSpoon's picture
OldWoodenSpoon

Beautiful Scali braid Sylvia!  And the sourdough boules look excellent too.  Is that a "square hash" score on the SD?  It certainly bloomed beautifully.  The combo cooker does a very nice job on the crust it appears.  I'll bet you are pretty pleased with this first trial.

OldWoodenSpoon

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

But first to nibble on that gorgeous crispy crust!   My mac now has bite marks... 

So many beautiful breads!

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

I want to braid dough like you when I grow up!

David

wally's picture
wally

before reading your post.  The breads look fabulous and I am now very, very hungry for something fresh baked, but it looks like I'm going to have to settle for eggs and bacon.

Beautiful braiding and bakes Sylvia!

Larry

ananda's picture
ananda

..as always, Sylvia

Best wishes

Andy

louie brown's picture
louie brown

Just curious, Sylvia. Are you steaming at all when you use the combo cooker? 

 

I've noticed on Amazon that purchases of the Lodge Combo Cooker and the Tartine book go together often.

LindyD's picture
LindyD

What a terrific, graceful crumb, Sylvia!

Lovely breads.

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Really, really beautiful loaf.

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

the very nice compliments : )  @ OWspoon, not very good squares, played a bit with the slashes, it does come out a lot different than a cross slash on a boule! @ louiebrown, no steaming required, although some do give spritzes of water on different DO or lid cover setups, before covering the loaf.  The great thing about using a dutch oven of sorts is the pot makes it own little sauna from the breads moisture being released.  I would have never noticed this great little Combo Cooker if it were not mentioned in the Tartine book. 

Sylvia

louie brown's picture
louie brown

I didn't think so.

 

My combo cooker is on its way. It was hard to resist, seeing all those nearly round boules, with such beautiful color.

Mebake's picture
Mebake

All Look Great! You have perfected fermentation , mixing, and baking, Sylvia!

Very nice work coming out of your oven!

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Ahhhh, perfection, something that is just always out of reach.

Sylvia

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

Got those little salivary glands under my tongue jetting as if in quest of a dusty windscreen. Suppose I coulda just subbed the verb 'drooling'...but where's the poetry in that?

Anyway, great pics, great bakes.

Cheers
Ross

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Thank you for the poetry and compliment's are always appreciated!

Sylvia

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

...except that I think you were too kind not to have used inverted commas around 'poetry'!

bottleny's picture
bottleny

Hi, Sylvia

I have read over your posts about Scali bread and would like to try it tonight. In the original KA recipe, it calls for 2 tsp of yeast in the final dough. Would it be too much?

You also baked PR's Hoagies. Which one do you prefer for making sandwich?

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Hello, wildeny!

Follow the recipe from KA recipe and you should have a lovely Scali..the yeast amount is correct in the final dough.  I would have to say if I had to pick from the two, Scali for sandwiches or PR's Hoagies..I would pick the Scali, not to say the Hoagies aren't delicious too!  I like the Scali, most when it is shaped into a very full braid..shorter, fatter and start the braid, from the center braid down, flip it over and braid down the other side.   It is very nice just shaped as you would a hoagie roll...I'm very fond of them shaped into individual rolls for Italian sandwiches.  PR's hoagies are not as soft a roll as the scali, but are very nice to for sandwiches, with a  little more chew.  I enjoy the flavor added by the sesame seeds!  I've made a batch of both rolls for super bowl and let everyone take their pick.  I make Scali a lot more often than the Hoagie from PR so I would say they get the favorite vote, sliced or made into rolls.

Sylvia

bottleny's picture
bottleny

Thanks for the info.

I'm still quite new in bread-making. No matter how the bread comes out, it's always good to have home-made bread during the weekend.