Experiments with dough

I have long wondered about what happens when you make really high hydration doughs. Two events inspired me. One was the excellent cold "pizza" sold here in the Dallas area by Popolo Reds - a focaccia style bread with an intense red sauce topping. The other was an episode of Milk Street, where Christopher Kimball mae a "pizza" with a high hydration dough. Because I like to tinker, I though I would mess with some ideas and see what happens.

The key to all of this was using a very wet dough (anything up to 100% hydration) and working the dough hard. Because it almost a batter, rather than a normal bread dough, I decided to use the paddle beater in my stand mixer and not the dough hook.

I found that following the Milk Street version, the tomatoes really didn't cook enough, so I modified that recipe by roasting the cut tomatoes for 15 minutes before topping the dough and baking.

I ended up making 2 different kinds - both of which still need some tweaking for the toppings. But I am very happy with the technique. So thank you to Bob Shema and Christopher Kimball for the inspirations.

Ingredients - Dough

600 gm Bread flour

600 gm Water at room temperature

8 gm Active dry yeast

13 gm salt ( i make this a little saltier than the usual 2%)

30 gm Extra virgin olive oil (divided use) - rough measure

Method - Dough Preparation

Put the flout into the bowl of the stand mixed, with the paddle beater attachment. Activate the yeast by adding to the water. If you use instant or bread yeast, this step is unnecessary - the yeast can be added directly to the flour. Add the salt to the flour and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the water and oil while mixing slowly. Once the water is all added, increase the speed of the mixing to medium. The dough will look awful for a long while (10 + minutes). Then it will start to come together and leave the sides of the bowl. Once it has left the sides, continue mixing for 10 more minutes. It should be smooth by now, and fully kneaded.

Leave the dough in the bowl, and cover to rise. Anything up to 2 hours depending on kitchen temperature. 

Once it has risen, gently degas it by oiling your fingers and running your fingers around the bowl releasing the dough. It will sink.

Once you have degassed the dough, cover again and place the bowl in the refrigerator. Leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight

When you are ready to bake, remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Tip the dough into two oiled 1/4 sheet pans and spread it as best you can into the corners. The dough will shrink back, but that is OK. It will sit in the pan for a while and gradually spread. When working the dough, always oil your fingers. The dough is incredibly sticky. The oil will help prevent sticking.

Ingredients - Topping 1

I of the 1/4 sheet pans of dough (above)

16 oz  (450 gm) Cherry tomatoes (Note the switch to imperial measurements - that's how things are sold in the USA for the most part)

16 oz (450 gm) Sweet seedless black grapes

2 tsp Dried oregano

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp Black pepper (coarse grind, fresh)

2 tsp Aleppo pepper

Oil to drizzle

Method - Topping1

When the dough has warmed to room temperature (an hour or so after coming out of the refrigerator), stud it in rows with the cherry tomatoes and grapes. Push the tomatoes ad grapes into the dough. Preheat the ovent to 450F (with fan assist).

Sprinkle the tomatoes/grapes evenly with the organo, salt, pepper, Apeppo pepper, and some olive oil. Allow the dough to puff up around the tomatoes/grapes. Once the dough has puffed up, put the pan into the preheatedoven. Turn the heat down to 400F and bake for around 30 minutes.

Slide the focaccia out of the ban onto a cutting board and allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting. Eat hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients - Topping 2

1 of the 1/4 sheet pans of dough (above)

16 oz (450 gm) Cherry tomatoes

16 oz (450 gm) mushrooms

12 sprigs Thyme

2Tbs Unsalted butter

2tsp Kosher salt (divided)

1 tsp Black pepper (coarse grind, fresh)

Oil to drizzle

Method - Topping 2

Slice the mushrooms. Microwave for a few minutes to drive off the moisture. Mix the thyme leaves into the mushrooms, add the butter, half the salt. Microwave again until the butter is incorprated.

Decorate the dough with rows of cherrytomatoes and mushrooms (as above).

Proceed withthe baking and serving as above.

Chicken with grapes, garlic, vermouth and tarragon

I have stolen this shamelessly from Jamie Oliver. It is such a good dish that I have now made it 4 or 5 times. It gets better with each showing. Big advantages are:

• Small number of ingredients
• 1 pot
• oven does most of the work so no need to monitor closely

For 4 people I cook 6 chicken pieces. The downside os that you need a very large saute pan or skillet. And the pan must be ovenproof.

Ingredients

2 T Olive oil (divided use)

6 Whole chicken legs (Thigh and drumstick together)

1 garlic bulb, cloves individually split out, squashed but not peeled

1 lb mixed grapes

1 1/2 cups sweet vermouth (red, Italian)

1/4 cup loosely packed tarragon leaves

Salt/pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F. One shelf upper middle rack

In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat the oil until it is shimmering. Meanwhile lightly oil the chicken pieces all over. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken pieces and rub them in with the oil.

Place the chicken pieces, skin side down, into the skillet. Make sure that the is plenty of separation of the pieces. Turn the heat up a little, and cook the chicken skin side down  until the skin has taken on a golden brown color. Turn the chicken over and continue to cook for a few (3-5) minutes, Add the garlic cloves, making sure that each one is in contact with the bottom of the pan - i.e. between the chicken pieces. This is critical. If you don't the garlic will be raw tasting and bitter at the end.

Cook the garlic and chicken for a minute or 2 longer. Add the grapes to the pan, followed by the vermouth.

Coarsely chop the tarragon leaves.

Place the uncovered saute pan into the preheated oven. Cook for about 30-45 minutes. Being dark meat, they don't dry out quickly, so if they go a little long it doesn't matter. Once it is cooked, sprinkle the coarsely chopped tarragon over the dish, and stir so that it is mostly mixed in. You could add a few drops of sherry vinegar if you wanted some extra acidity.

We served it with salt baked potatoes. The chicken on the plate, crispy skin up, potatoes on the side with sauce poured over the chicken and potatoes. Garnish with the remaining tarragon.

Pinot noir wines are the best choice here.

Two ways with the same chicken

I have a "proper job" now - meaning that I don't work from my home office everyday. The commute time cuts into my cooking time, so I have to get a bit creative with dishes - just like the majority of people.
Soaking chicken breasts for about 15 minutes in a dilute baking soda solution helps to relax the proteins and leaves the meat a bit more tender, covering with a light dusting of cornstarch helps the chicken to brown - even in a non stick pan.
So, since Madame wanted a chicken salad (I could tell from hints like, "I bought these grapes at the supermarket today, they would be really good in chicken salad" were clues. But I also wanted to try a stir fried preparation with lots aromatics and a thick Asian flavors inspired sauce.
Yeah, I know Asia is a large continent(!), so there is not a single style. These flavors were sweet/sour/hot using dark soy sauce, US "srirarcha", fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, dark sesame oil, scallions, celery, red peppers. Note the chicken itself is unseasoned. There's plenty to come in the sauce.
It turns out you can do these simultaneously - well kind of. A lot of the prep is in common at least. I cooked the chicken for both dishes before adding the ingredients for the Asian flavored version

Asian style chicken

Ingredients

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts sliced into 1/4" strips
3 cups water
1 t baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
3T cornstartch (corn flower) (divided use)
2T vegetable oil, divided use
2 ribs celery sliced lengthwise into three strips each, cut into 1/4" pieces on the bias
10 scallions, white parts only cut into 1/4" pieces on the bias (reserve green parts)
6 cloves garlic sliced thinly
1T fish sauce
3T dark soy sauce
1T Palm sugar
zest and juice of 1 lime
2T habanero vodka (or substitute dry sherry + minced hot pepper)
3T "srirarcha" - the brand with the chicken on the outside
1t dark sesame oil

Method

1. Soak the chicken in the baking soda/water solution for 15 minutes
2. Rinse, drain and pat the chicken dry
3. Coat the chicken lightly in 1T cornstarch
4. Make the sauce by combining the last 7 ingredients + 2 remaining T of cornstarch and set aside.
5. Heat 1 T of oil until wisps of smoke are visible in a large non-stick skillet. Place the chicken in a single layer in the hot skillet, leaving undisturbed for a minute or 2 until the outside is nicely browned. Turn the chicken over and repeat the cooking. Take care not to overcook, but do make sure the chicken pieces are cooked thoroughly.
6. Remove the chicken to a bowl, wipe the skillet and add the rest of the oil
7. Stir fry the aromatics all together. The sizes should insure even cooking. There should be a slight char on the scallions
8. Add the reserved chicken back into the skillet, combine, whisk the sauce and add to the chicken/vegetables.
9. Bring to the boil to allow the corn starch to thicken
10. Serve garnished with thinly sliced scallion green parts.

Suggestions

This dish could use some crunch, so feel free to add in peanuts, cashews, water chestnuts or other crunchy, mildly flavored items.
Serve with white or brown rice. It goes well with a light East Asian beer (Singha, Tiger, etc.)

Chicken Salad

This dish used the same chicken cooking technique as above. The difference is that the chicken pieces need to be cut a bit smaller.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into 1/4" strips and then each strip into 1/2" lengths
3 cups water
1t baking soda
1T vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise (if using home made, you will reduce the vinegar in the next ingredient)
1T sherry vinegar
hot sauce - to taste
salt/pepper - to taste
1/2 red paper, finely diced
1 rib celery finely diced
12 cherry tomatoes, halved (good trick for halving the tomatoes, etc. here)
12 grapes, halved
12 walnut or pecan halves

Method

1. Prepare the chicken as above
2. Meanwhile make the dressing by whisking the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, hot sauce, salt, pepper
3. Combine the raw vegetables, grapes and nuts with the dressing
4. After the chicken has cooled, stir it into the dressed vegetables
5. Chill before serving - as an open faced sandwich on toasted home made bread

I had planned to use the wok in the big green egg for this, but the egg/charcoal would not co-operate. I couldn't get it hot enough in the time I had available. It was a shame really, because once the dishes were made, the egg had finally got up to temperature. So, I treated the exercise as a "clean burn" vaporizing any debris left over from brisket smoking and other dirty cooking jobs.