Happy Memorial Day Weekend! While the rest of America barbeques and jumps into the pool, I’ve got an amazing amount of hibernating with my computer to do. Thesis crunch time. Fortunately, I have the world’s best couch potato to keep me company. Right now, she is doing yoga to center herself. Though she really only knows one pose—shavasana–but she can hold it for an hour or more. Happy baby.
Stirato
Adapted from The Village Baker
1 ½ cups water (with 3 or 4 ice cubes)
1 package of yeast
¼ cup warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
The warm water is for the yeast. If using sourdough starter, don’t worry about the temperature. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add yeast mixture and about ¾ cup of the ice-chilled water in a food processor. Add the remaining water. The dough should be satiny and quite cool. Empty the soupy dough into a large bowl. Cover and let rise for 2 or 3 hours.
Shape dough into a rough oval and set it seamside down on a piece of parchment paper and let rise, covered, for 30 minutes. This is soupy soupy—even more so than ciabatta.
“Stretch” the oval loaf by flattening it with your fingertips three or four times, flip the loaf over and cover it again, allow it to rise for 15 or 20 more minutes.
Bake for 35 minutes at 450 degrees until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when thumped.
Leave the loaf in the oven for 5 minutes after the oven has been turned off to set the crust.
Rather amoebic bread. It was okay. Nonremarkable other than its sprawling, unwieldy mass. Goes well with soups.
Perhaps Iz could practice this pose during squirrel season?
This pose she struck after nearly missing a startled chipmunk coming out of the gutter drains with nonchalance. The chipmunk is probably up some tree striking the same pose.
Best wishes on your thesis! I hope you can take some inspiration from Izzy and relax deep down in your soul, even in the midst of crunch time!