Every Sunday, on the corner of Marie-Anne and Laval in a school playground, a few tents house local produce and, this week, one band featuring a kazoo player. We visited this farmers’ market (one of many in the city) and chatted with two guys selling vegetables to find out not only that they were selling what they grew, but also that they live in a trailer on their two acre farm. It may sound dumb, but buying locally makes you feel more in touch with the food you’re eating. All year, you can make the trip to either Jean Talon or Atwater Markets, but we highly recommend supporting your local markets while they’re still open this fall. Also, don’t forget about McGill’s Organic Campus and Concordia’s Frigo Vert for your organic produce needs.
This week, we wandered to the farmer’s market, and settled into Sophie’s kitchen to perfect the sandwich. Here is our trusted, basic bread recipe. Also, check out our blog for yummy sandwich fillings: mcgilldaily.com/blog/1675.
Poor Student Bread
2 cups + 1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups warm water
1 packet quick rise yeast (or active dry yeast)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
Mix together water, yeast, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Let sit for eight minutes or until the yeast dissolves into the water when stirred. Add the whole wheat flour and 2 cups of the all purpose flour, mix. Dump the remaining cup of flour onto a kneading surface. When the yeast and flour have been added, dump the ball of dough onto the pile of flour. Start kneading. I recommend calling your mom as you knead for about 10 minutes. Let the dough incorporate the extra flour until it is no longer sticky and knead until the dough becomes elastic. Wash your large bowl and swirl 2 tsp of olive oil to coat the bottom. Dump your dough into the bowl and roll it around to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or loose plastic wrap. Let rise for about an hour or until dough has at least doubled in size.
Once dough is ready, shape into either one loaf or two (or into buns). Place on a cookie sheet. Cover with the same cloth or plastic wrap and let rise for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F. Put the dough in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until the dough is a light brown. When you tap it, you should hear a hollow sound.
Tips and Tricks: If you use active dry yeast (instead of the quick rise), then your bread will take longer to rise.
Things you KNEAD to know: Kneading is great for releasing any pent-up emotions (read: anger). Gather all the dough into a ball, and give it a massage. Use your whole hand and continually move it around. The most important thing is finding your kneading rhythm – without that, you’ll never have the patience to get your dough to that perfect texture.