Rising To Top With His Bread
It’s often said that cooking is an art and breadmaking, a science.
The loaves Bob Hancock sculpts each day, however, could easily be called a work of art.
Yet, Hancock is humble. “It’s basically just flour, water and yeast,” he said.
The most amazing thing about his chewy, intensely flavorful breads is that Hancock had never baked before he and his wife, Kit Garrett, opened Fugazzi Bakery and Cafe two years ago.
“We have some European customers who come in and ask me if I had gone to Italy to learn to make Italian bread,” Hancock said.
Actually, he didn’t make it quite that far east for an apprenticeship.
Hancock has a degree in physical education but was looking to make a career change when he enrolled in the culinary arts program at Spokane Community College. After graduating, Hancock did some research on breadmaking and found the name Dan Leader kept coming up. (Leader authored a cookbook called “Bread Alone,” published by William Morrow.)
Hancock tracked down the noted baker near Woodstock, N.Y., and asked to come out for a crash course. In two weeks, he absorbed the basics, but he admits there are just some things that can’t be taught about breadmaking.
For instance, the strength of yeasts and starters commercial bakers use varies so greatly, the breadmaker’s biggest challenge is learning exactly how much to use and how to control them. That task is complicated by the rising agents being affected by temperature, humidity, even the hardness of the water.
Hancock works with several different yeasts and sourdough starters, which have to be fed - “just like a kid,” he said - up to twice a day. One, a doughy mixture based on a classic French sourdough culture, is called “levain.” It’s so strong that a tennis ball-size piece of it will jump-start 50 loaves.
Since he first started baking, Hancock has learned to read his dough. Just by looking at it, he can tell if it was undermixed or if too much flour or too much water was used.
Another challenge was giving the breads a distinct personality. Through trial and error, Hancock cooked up his own bread recipes, called “formulas” by the pros. Among his unusual creations are a rye-currant, an apple-raisin-walnut, a potato-rosemary and loaves studded with briny kalamata olives.
Some varieties are available only on certain days of the week, but Fugazzi’s most popular bread, the dome-shaped peasant bread, is baked every day.
The breadmaking process begins the day before the dough hits the ovens. The doughs are mixed in the morning and allowed to rise slowly, which is the key to developing the deep, rich flavor.
In the early afternoon, the dough is divided into loaf-size measures. The long, thin baguettes are tucked side-by-side in a canvas holder so they won’t expand too much during the second rise. The loaves that will eventually turn into golden brown rounds settle into special baskets, which give them their shape.
Before the second rising is complete, Hancock wheels the trays of dough into the walk-in cooler. That way, he can slow the rising process so he can come in at 3 or 4 a.m. to begin baking instead of working all night long.
As it is, his schedule is grueling enough.
“We’re really running two businesses here, the bakery and the restaurant, so Kit and I have been putting in 20-hour days for the past two years,” he said.
Sounds like the makings for a classic case of burnout - if they didn’t love what they were doing.
“The most exciting part is putting those things in the oven and watching what they’re going to do,” Hancock said.
The oven Hancock uses is one of the keys to his breadmaking success. It’s a special steam-injected hearth oven that was imported from France. A burst of steam when the bread is first loaded into the oven allows the crust to form slowly and the breads to expand to their full glory.
In addition to making up to 350 loaves a day, Hancock also prepares the restaurant’s desserts. He leans toward homey classics like crisps and tries to use fresh seasonal ingredients. A recent strawberry shortcake with a rhubarb sauce is a lip-smacking example.
“When most people think of dessert, they think cheesecake or chocolate,” Hancock said. “I like to mix things up, offer some lighter things, too.”
He’s learned that goodies tend to sell better toward the weekend.
“During the first part of the week, people are trying to be good,” he said.
If you’re trying to be good, stick with just the biscotti from the following recipe. But that white chocolate ice cream might be hard to resist.
Sambuca Almond Biscotti with White Chocolate Ice Cream and Kahlua
To serve, pour 1 ounce of Kahlua into an individual bowl, top with a scoop of ice cream and garnish with 2 biscotti cookies.
2-1/4 cups all-purpose white flour
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of sugar
4 ounces butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 cups sliced almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons Sambuca (anise-flavored liqueur)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and combine thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and combine. Add the almonds and Sambuca.
Divide the dough and shape into two 8-inch logs, about 2-1/2 inches wide and 1-1/4 inches thick. Bake 35 minutes, until light brown; remove from oven and cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees. When the logs have cooled, slice into 1/2-inch-wide pieces and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 30 more minutes. Cool and drizzle with melted white chocolate, if desired.
Yield: 2 dozen.
White Chocolate Ice Cream
8 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups half and half
2 cups heavy cream
10 ounces white chocolate, chopped fine
Whisk egg yolks and sugar together. Scald the dairy products and add to egg yolk mixture slowly while whisking. Return to the stove over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened and candy thermometer reads 185 degrees; do not boil.
Pour over chocolate and stir to melt. Chill overnight. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.
Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.
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