Pane Siciliano

    Once again I have turned to The Bread Baker's Apprentice  ( Link to Bread Baker's Apprentice at Amazon) for this week's bread.  The loaves are very pretty, but even better they have a wonderful flavor due to the sesame seeds.  The bread also has a great chew and crumb to it.  We had it with dinner yesterday; I made a quick dipping oil to go with it.   All I can say is yum.
     I have been having some back issues, so poor Wayne became the apprentice's apprentice.  This is the type of bread a professional baker would use a steam oven to bake.  Since I am far from professional and don't have a steam oven,  I followed the directions in the book.  The process includes setting up a steam pan and using a plant mister to create the steam.  Wayne had to do the steaming, the rotating of the bread in the oven, as well as removing it when done.  But he got a great pay-off for all his help; he was able to enjoy this wonderful bread.  This is one of my favorite breads so far.  When I was shaping the loaves, I realized my dough probably needed to be a little stiffer, next time I'll add a little flour while kneading.   This was a 3 day bread, but it was worth the wait.
     The taste of the bread reminded me of the wonderful Italian bread I could get back in New Orleans.  I'm not talking about the big loaves of bread in plastic bags; I'm talking about the small loaves you would get wrapped in white paper wrappers on the counter of local bakeries.  The crust on that Italian bread was remarkable - super thick and crunchy. The inside of the bread  below the delectable crust was moist and chewy.  That's probably the bread that made me want to learn to bake bread.  I can remember eating my mother's meat balls and spaghetti.  My mother made a rich dark "tomato gravy" with lots of onions and garlic.  I can remember sitting at the table with a dish towel bib in front of a plate of meat balls and spaghetti and a big chunk of Italian bread.  That wonderful bread would be used to get every drop of that luscious sauce off the plate.  (I have to admit it, I am a mess.  If I am having spaghetti at home and it's just me and Wayne, I still use a "bib."  I know my limitations.)   There is a recipe for Italian bread in The Bread Baker's Apprentice, but I'm afraid it won't live up to my expectations.  Fear aside, I know I will be making it in the future.
    We used to have a little dog name Curley.  That little dog LOVED meatballs and spaghetti.  She would pace around the kitchen the whole time the sauce was cooking.  When the meal was finally ready to be served, the first one served was Curley.  I can still see my mother chopping up half a meatball and some spaghetti, topping it with sauce and putting it down for Curley.  My mother took excellent care of my brother and me, but she always treated her dogs as if they were her favorite children.  When my mother was a child she would always get in trouble with my mimi for sneaking the family dogs in her bed.  I know I learned my love of animals from my mother.  She taught me that a dog or cat is just a different looking member of the family, but they are a member of the family.  By the way - this is a picture of Tabu and Curley.