Limit your movement. This is the main thing we’re told to do by the scientific community and government to avoid further spreading of coronavirus. Even grocery shopping has become more difficult, which is why we suggest doing whatever you can to keep from going every day. It’s better to be organized when it comes to grocery shopping, using a detailed list of essentials – especially non-perishable items or frozen food. There's no need to raid the supermarkets, though!
So – let’s look at the glass as half-full, shall we? Cooking and baking at home is not only a way of respecting community rules, but it’s also a chance to enjoy homemade food that is both healthier and tastier than the store-bought version! Let's use this critical time as a chance to rediscover old traditions, keeping in mind our ‘nonna’ (‘grandmothers’ in Italian) and our mothers’ love for the kitchen. Let's spend some quality time with our children, who are at home because of closed schools, cooking together side-by-side. Let's enjoy the pleasure and satisfaction of homemade dishes, of kneading the dough with your partner (or alone) and serving homemade bread or pizza as a loving gesture.
Homemade bread!
For a nice homemade loaf of bread, you’ll need 3 1/4 cups flour (we suggest pastry flour or ‘type 00’), 1 cup water, about 3 tablespoons brewer's yeast, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of honey (useful to help the leavening process). Alternatively, you can choose to add a little sugar.
First, place the flour on a pastry board and pour the water over it, adding the yeast and honey. Mix well with your hands, adding the salt. Let the dough rise for at least two hours. Then transfer the loaf to the oven and bake at 480°F for about 20 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another thirty minutes.
Before putting the loaf in the oven, don’t forget to cut it with a knife!
And to make the homemade bread more delicious, add different kinds of seeds (i.e. sunflower seeds, flax seeds or pine nuts) to the leavened dough.
Here’s a list of our best recipes for homemade Italian breads and baked deliciousness!