Making... And then Breaking Bread...

On the menu for tomorrow night... Peasant bread, and Pot Roast ( I make a killer pot roast). I had to start the bread this morning at 9 am, Peasant bread is a chewy, tangy, crusty bread. In order to get some tang out of your bread you first have to start a 'sponge'. The sponge is a mixture of flour, water, and yeast. The sponge is then set out for 24-72 hours in order to ferment, I will be fermenting mine for 24hrs.
Above : my mise en place, meaning everything in its place. I always try and gather my mise en place first so I am not running around like crazy.




Recipe for Sponge:


1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups bread flour
olive oil, for bowl

Directions:


1) In the bowl of an electric mixer combine 1/4 cup warm water and the yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups water and the flour; mix on low for 2 minutes. The dough will be wet ( very sticky, but still firm)


2) Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand at room temp for 24 hours. The sponge is then ready for use.








Image to the the left: this is how my sponge looked when I first put it in the bowl, it has already doubled in size, and I needed to put it in a bigger bowl.






Pot Roast Delicioso:
Serves 4 w/ leftovers

5# boneless beef pot roast
1/4 cup red wine
1 can campbells cream of mushroom w/ roasted garlic
1 box lipton beefy onion soup mix (2 pkgs) (If I don't have this I just thinly slice an onion and throw it in)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, washed, leaves pulled off and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut in to 2 inch pieces
4 red potatoes, washed and halved
S & P to taste

Directions: Set your crock pot on low. Add the mushroom soup, the red wine, the dried soup mix, rosemary, and garlic, whisk until smooth. Add the pot roast and set timer for 5 hours. When 2 hours remain add the potatoes and carrots. Don't forget to season. Cook until, beef is tender enough to be pulled apart with a fork.

**Note: don't forget to make french dip sammies the next day!