What was that sound? It was the wooooooosh of a Daring Cook's Challenge being posted around the world and passing me by. Ooops, totally fogot about the date and mixed it up with the reveal date.
This month's challenge was hosted by Jen of Use Real Butter. She chose to challenge us with Chinese Potstickers.
Jen's blog is gorgeous and she beautifully illustrates how to make the potstickers. Although, she pokes fun of how white folks roll out the dough! Well Jen, this whitey used her tortilla press and the dough was perfectly round.... but pleating skills in this house leave a lot to be desired.
We used a gluten free recipe and the dough was very gluey. Our finger tips morphed with the dough until we just pleated finger sticking blobs.
The gluten free recipe can be found on Jen's blog. Since it included wheat starch and I wasn't confident I could find a gluten free wheat starch, I substituted a combination of tapioca starch, rice starch and other gluten free flours.
Note that one of my connoisseurs loved the pot stickers.
Filling chopped and ready to be stuffed into the dough. It looked good but tasted suspiciously like dried out tofu. Wait, it was tofu. Ugh.
My perfectly round dough disks morphed into blobs once they were cooked.
Lessons Learned
1) For perfectly round flat gorgeous disks of dough, just use the tortilla press. I love my tortilla press.
2) Gluten free potstickers cling to fingers like glue so attempts at perfect pleats are laughable. Hahahahaha
3) Substituting tofu for pork in the filling is really not that appetizing.
4) This challenge pushed me way beyond my comfort zone and I loved the introduction to a completely different technique. Would I do this again? Maybe.
Thank you Jen for a great challenge!
Pop over to the Daring Kitchen to see some of the other posts.
The first Daring Cook's challenge from the Daring Kitchen and like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, I am late to post about it. Ironically I made the challenge twice because my family liked it so much.
This month our daring founders Ivonne from Creampuffs in Venice and Lisa from La Mia Cucina chose Ricotta Gnocchi from The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers, named after her restaurant, The Zuni Café.
Two thumbs up for this recipe and only a little tweaking was required to convert it to gluten free. For the original recipe, check out the Daring Kitchen or better yet, buy The Zuni Café Cookbook here.
Gnocchi rolled in a combination of cornmeal and potato flour.
Plump Lumps Ready for cooking.
Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi
Makes 40 to 48 gnocchi (serves 4 to 6) Prep time: Step 1 will take 24 hours. Steps 2 through 4 will take approximately 1 hour.
For the gnocchi: 1 pound fresh ricotta (2 cups) 2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter 2 or 3 fresh sage leaves (optional) ½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed) about ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt) cornmeal and potato flour for forming the gnocchi
For the gnocchi sauce: 8 tablespoons (227 grams butter, sliced 2 teaspoons water
Step 1 (the day before you make the gnocchi): Preparing the ricotta. If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so and place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) and suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneath to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.
Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough. To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl and mash it as best as you can with a rubber spatula or a large spoon (it’s best to use a utensil with some flexibility here). As you mash the ricotta, if you noticed that you can still see curds, then press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible. Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta.
Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the sage if you’re using it. If not, just melt the butter and add it to the ricotta mixture. Add in any flavouring that you’re using (i.e., nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.). If you’re not using any particular flavouring, that’s fine. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the salt. Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft and fluffy batter with no streaks.
Step 3: Forming the gnocchi. Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously and keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together and that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp.
In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½ an inch deep. With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl and form a large mass in the centre of your bowl.
Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter and then holding the spoon at an angle, use your finger tip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour. At this point you can either shake the dish or pan gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi and cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour and plump.... that would be a plump lump.
Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink and then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes.
If your gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If your gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter and beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success.
Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them. Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and dust it with flour.
You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.
Step 4: Cooking the gnocchi. Have a large skillet ready to go. Place the butter and water for the sauce in the skillet and set aside. In the largest pan or pot that you have (make sure it’s wide), bring at least 2 quarts of water to a boil (you can use as much as 3 quarts of water if your pot permits). You need a wide pot or pan so that your gnocchi won’t bump into each other and damage each other.
Once the water is boiling, salt it generously. Drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes (as in the case with the test gnocchi). When the gnocchi float to the top, you can start your sauce while you wait for them to finish cooking.
Place the skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts. As soon as it melts and is incorporated with the water, turn off the heat. Your gnocchi should be cooked by now. With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and gently drop into the butter sauce. Carefully roll in the sauce until coated. Serve immediately.
Lessons Learned
1) Take pictures even if your first batch looks like albino poop.
2) Form the gnocchi using spoons to make quenelles. The dough is very delicate and will stick to your hands.
3) If you like ricotta, fresh milk and parmigiano, you will love these light gnocchi. If you aren't a milk and cheese person these gnocchi will not appeal to you.
4) We prefer the light texture of these gnocchi compared to some heavy pasty potato gnocchi we've tried.
5) Too much butter for the original sauce made the first batch too heavy. A lighter touch with the butter was our preference.
Before I launch into our latest Daring Challenge, I have to express my appreciation to the many people who made this challenge possible.
First, to the lovely gracious Melinda of Melbourne Larder in Australia. She transformed all our correspondence into a beautifully written presentation on the private forum. Enza of Io da Grande in Italy, thank you for giggling at me over the eggs and jumping in with all your expertise. A heartfelt thank you to Lynne Rossetto-Kasper for granting us permission to use your beautifully written recipe. The cookbook The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emiglia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food records the rich and gorgeous stories of the traditional table in the Emiglia-Romagna area; we are so grateful to have this cookbooks' guidance. Any mistakes or omissions in the use of the recipe rest entirely on our shoulders.
To all the Daring Bakers, who plunged into this challenge though it scared the dickens out of many of them. Ivonne and Lisa, thank you for encouraging us to push the envelope of what we traditionally consider baking. Alternative bakers a big thank you! You've made the transition to a gluten free lifestyle much easier.
Last but not least, thank you to the nonnas who uphold the pleasure and love of a well tended table for their families. Nonna Giuseppina di Modena and Nonna Dora, you are goddesses among women and your cooking is greatly missed.
It is especially to all the nonnas, that I dedicate this challenge. The videos on this post display an expertise that far surpasses my own in the family kitchen.
Enough of the moosh, as Lisa would say, let's roll up our sleeves and get started!
With spring just launched in the northern hemisphere, and autumn descending in the southern hemisphere, the March challenge is a rich dish that we hope will be suitable fare for Daring Bakers around the world and not cause too much heat or stress in the kitchen!
This month’s challenge has global input, with the three hosts living in three continents: Mary of Beans and Caviar in Canada, Melinda of Melbourne Larder in Australia and Enza of Io da Grande in Italy. All three of us are very keen bakers for our families and friends and very excited to be hosting our first Daring Bakers challenge!
The recipe we’ve chosen this month is Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.
Lasagne is a dish that has successfully transcended borders and is today made around the world, albeit with many variations from the Italian original. Even within Italy, there are many variations and each region has its own lasagne tradition. But, as Lynne explains in her introduction to the recipe – and Enza, as our Italian expert for this dish, also agrees - the dish should always be a “vivid expression of the ‘less is more’ philosophy of cooking. Mere films of béchamel sauce and meat ragu coat the sheerest spinach pasta. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese dusts each layer. There is nothing more; no ricotta, no piling on of meats, vegetables or cheese; little tomato, and no hot spice. Baking performs the final marriage of flavours. The results are splendid.”
Sweet pasta is unusual but here is a traditional pasta recipe for our sweetest bloggers Emilia-Romagna Turismo This pasta could be paired with flavours of cream, raisins, pine nuts, orange, rosewater, prosciutto etc.
The most important part of this challenge is the hand-made Spinach Egg Pasta. We’ve also included Lynne’s recipes for béchamel (white) sauce and meat ragu but you can choose to use your own bechamel and ragu (or vegetarian sauce) recipes. Please follow Lynne’s instructions for the final assembly.
Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna Lasagne Verdi al Forno) (Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)
Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time
10 quarts (9 litres) salted water 1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows) 1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows) 1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows) 1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Method Working Ahead: The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.
Assembling the Ingredients: Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.
Since my version of the lasagne must be gluten free, I'm relying on "Nonna Video" for guidance in the traditional version.
Cooking the Pasta: Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.
Assembling the Lasagne: Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.
Baking and Serving the Lasagne: Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.
Spinach Egg Pasta Pasta Verde Preparation: 45 minutes
Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.
2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g each or more) 10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry 3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)
Working by Hand:
Equipment A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.
A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.
A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta. Although it is not traditional, Enza has successfully made pasta with a marble rolling pin, and this can be substituted for the wooden pin, if you have one.
Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.
A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.
Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.
Mixing the dough: Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.
Kneading: With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Stretching and Thinning: If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.
Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.
Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm).
Note: Enza says transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!
Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.
Bechamel Preparation Time: 15 minutes
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred 2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.
Country Style Ragu’ Ragu alla Contadina Preparation Time: Ingredient Preparation Time 30 minutes and Cooking time 2 hours
Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 mL) 2 ounces/60g pancetta, finely chopped 1 medium onion, minced 1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced 1 small carrot, minced 4 ounces/125g boneless veal shoulder or round 4 ounces/125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel) 8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference) 1 ounce/30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma 2/3 cup (5 ounces/160ml) dry red wine 1 &1/2 cups (12 ounces/375ml) chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible) 2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk 3 canned plum tomatoes, drained Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Meat Ready for the Pan
Working Ahead: The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.
Minced Vegetables and Pancetta
Browning the Ragu Base: Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat. Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder. Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.
Browning the Ragu Base
Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside.
Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.
Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.
Gluten Free Although I have made Lynne Rossetto-Kasper's Lasagne in the original version, and I absolutely love it, this last year has seen a drastic change in the way my family eats. It turns out that three of the five of us are celiac. For a family in love with Italian food, it has been quite a shock.
We have moved from rice cakes to other food but there is still a longing for good pasta with a firm but pleasing texture and a subtle taste... especially lasagne, oh how we miss homemade lasagne! This challenge gave me the shove I needed to explore the gluten free side of lasagne. I was not confident about adding spinach, so my first attempt was the lasagne without spinach in the pasta.
Gluten Free Egg Pasta
The choice of the first flour is a matter of personal taste – please feel free to substitute a different flour for the corn flour.
150 gr corn flour or masa in North America - yellow with a slightly gritty feel (250 mL, 1 cup) NOT a starch 100 gr corn starch* (3/4 cup, 187.5 mL) 100 gr tapioca flour* (225 mL, 9/10 cup or a little over 7 volume ounces) 150 gr of potato starch* (250 mL, 1 cup) 100 gr of glutinous rice flour* (200 mL, ¾ cup) 10 gr of Xanthan powder (1.5 tsp, 7.5 mL) 10 gr of salt (1 tsp, 5 mL)
6 extra large eggs (60 gr each or 2.5 oz in weight, 1 fluid oz in volume) 3/8 cup of water (95 mL) 50 mL of extra virgin olive oil (1/5 cup)
*fine white powder that squeaks when rubbed between fingers
Plastic wrap or parchment paper for your work surface Aluminium foil to cover the lasagne
Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Whisk together 3 eggs, the water and/or spinach, and the oil. Pour into the middle of the dry ingredients. Mix with a sturdy wooden spoon, gradually drawing more of the flour mix into the wet ingredients. Add each egg as needed. The dough will be crumbly at the beginning but will gradually come together as you add the eggs. You will need to use your hands to squeeze and mix the dough.
The dough will be firm and stick together when ready. It will not have the elasticity of gluten dough therefore it will crack when kneaded and pushed. Form it into a smooth ball, oil it lightly, and cover securely with plastic wrap. Let it rest for an hour.
Put a sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface. This is very important as the dough will not hold together very well when lifted. Have flour ready for dusting (corn flour etc) and dust the surface lightly. Cut a piece of dough about the size of really large egg – it doesn’t matter the size but start small for the first one to gauge how much space you need. Keep the remaining dough covered so it does not dry.
Roll the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc with your hands. Put it on your work surface and flatten with your hands. Use a rolling pin and gently push the dough down and out ward from the centre. You may have to place one hand on the plastic wrap as you push the dough down and away. Gluten free dough does not stretch like wheat dough therefore it needs gentle flattening and pushing. If it breaks, pat it back together. If it is too dry, dab a little water with your finger.
The gluten free dough will be thicker than wheat dough and you will barely be able to see your hand through the dough. Once it is flattened, cut into strips or squares that will fit your pan.
Set the dough aside on the plastic sheet. There is no need to dry the dough. But if you do dry the dough, it will not be able to hang because it will break. Stack the rolled out dough with plastic sheets in between.
Stack the sheets when dry and wrap securely. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Freezing will make the dough crumbly and difficult to work with – so freeze only as a last resort!
This dough does not need to be precooked before being assembled into the lasagne.
Mixed and Kneaded Dough
Pushing and Squashing Into Shape
Rolling Dough A marble rolling pin was easier to use since a wooden one and Xanthan gum stick together like glue, unless you very liberally flour the rolling pin. Unlike wheat flour dough, the gluten free dough will wick up the sauce even when flattened mercilessly. This greedy slurping up of sauce can easily turn your lasagne gelatinous and mushy.
Tansparency? Bahahaha ... not like wheat dough! But you can barely see the outline of my fingers.
Rolled as Thin as Possible
Gluten Free Béchamel - White Sauce
2 & 2/3 cup milk 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or Extra virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons corn starch (fine white and squeaky) – another starch can be substituted Salt and pepper to taste Freshly grated nutmeg
Mix the corn starch with ½ cup of cold milk. Heat the rest of the milk in a small sauce pan until steaming but do not boil. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the steaming milk. Stirring constantly, raise the heat and heat the mixture until thick. Once it is thick, remove it from the heat and add the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Have the béchamel warm or at room temperature ready to assemble the lasagne. Whisk the sauce occasionally if it becomes stiff or thick.
Assembling the Gluten Free Lasagne
The assembly is the same as the regular lasagne with the addition of water. Gluten free lasagne noodles need a little more moisture for the lasagne, so you will be adding a little bit of water to the lasagne.
Before assembly, pour plain water into the pan, enough to form a thin film of water over the bottom. A 9 x 13 inch or 25 x 33 cm pan required almost ½ cup (125 mL) of water. Once the lasagne is assembled, pour a tablespoon or 15 mL of water into each corner of the dish. Cover the lasagne tightly with aluminium foil. Be careful not to touch the top of the lasagne with the foil. Bake as directed.
Finished Lasagne
I was so proud of this lasagne - the pasta kept distinct layers and had a touch of firmness. Drying the pasta overnight on plastic sheets helped tremendously. But freezing the pasta was a disaster, the sheets crumbled and broke when they were made into another lasagne.
Spinach Lasagne
The gluten free spinach lasagne was a triumph of taste but mediocre in texture since the pasta sheets became too soft. The spinach was too watery therefore the dough could only absorb 4 of the 6 eggs and it needed additional flour to combat the sticky texture. The protein of the eggs is very important to the structure of gluten free pasta. We were hungry, so the pasta sheets went directly into the lasagne without any drying. The texture of the dough when I kneaded it was silky and elastic, just like the wheat dough... I suspected trouble at that point!
I won't give up on the spinach version because the taste was divine, splendid even. The layers melted into each other but reducing the water, drying the pasta sheets and using more eggs should turn out a divine texture as well as taste. Here's a picture of my mediocre "but brimming with potential" lasagne.
Lessons Learned
1) Ask questions and read the private forum for solutions. Together, the Daring Kitchen turned out fantastic lasagnes.
2) Gracious cohosts and authors made this adventure very enjoyable. Thank you!
3) Gluten free pasta making is faster than making homemade wheat dough - a little incentive to keep me attempting for the perfect lasagne.
4) I'm hungry and there's leftover lasagne in the fridge... ciao!
When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's amore...
....or it's the sound of a pizza dough slapping onto your face when you fail to catch it! Did you hear the sound of slapping across the globe? This month the Daring Bakers are up to the challenge of tossing, spinning, and slapping down the best pizza you've ever eaten. This month our Daring Baker Challenge was to make pizza like a real pizzaiola.
We love pizza at our house. Every Friday we make pizza so this challenge was a welcome one. It also marked the first time I've made a challenge both gluten free and "glutenated" or straight from the original wheat flour recipe.
Original Pizzaiola PizzaThis pizza dough is made the day before and rests in the refrigerator to develop its' flavours. The dough is divided into six portions and spun crazily above your head to gently stretch it out. It is cooked in a very hot oven on a preheated pizza stone. The result is a lovely light crisp dough that is an absolute joy to eat.
Gluten Free
Gluten free dough doesn't have the elasticity of wheat dough. When you are making a gluten free bread, the dough is the consistency of cake batter. Any tossing of a gluten free pizza would be one big splat! Instead the dough is gently spread out between two layers of parchment paper.
For the gluten free pizza, I decided to recreate a family favourite Tuscan Schiacciata in a gluten free version.
The first layer of dough is gently spread out on parchment paper and covered with thinly sliced mozzarella cheese.
The cheese layer is covered with a layer of thinly sliced ham.
A second layer of dough is gently spread over parchment, then flipped over to cover the ham and cheese. (It pays to have a helper do the flipping with you) The parchment is gently peeled away. Some olive oil is spread on top and coarse salt is sprinkled over it.The schiacciata and the parchment paper are gently lifted and put onto the heated pizza stone. This will not work without the parchment paper underneath because the gluten free dough will not hold together.
The result is....
Gluten Free Tuscan Schiacciata
Lessons Learned: 1) Pizza Tossing is fun and should be considered a party activity. 2) Pizza Tossing really does stretch the pizza beautifully. 3) Pizza Tossing will never happen with gluten free dough.
Thank you Rosa for making us toss our pizzas and stretch our knowledge!
When were in a little seaside town in Tuscany, a restaurant at the beach made a flat bread with ham and cheese cooked into the center. The crunchy top was fragrant with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Everyone would eagerly wait for the lunch time batch to be ready. Slices wrapped in paper would be handed out and we would gingerly hold the hot bread while nibbling at the cooler edges.
It took a long time to recreate this dish to our satisfaction. The dough has to be rolled thin so the crust is thin and crunchy. The ham that works the best is a black forest style ham that is thinly sliced. The cheese can be thick and ooze out to greet you or thin and subtle. A baking stone works best to give a crunchy bottom crust but it isn't really necessary. Sea salt wasn't easily available years ago so we substituted coarse pickling salt.
Schiacciata Toscana (skee-ah-chat-ah - means flattened)
1&1/2 cups warm water 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1&1/2 tsp instant yeast 3&1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil
3/4 lb thinly slice Black forest style ham 3/4 lb thinly sliced mozzarella cheese 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for top 1 tsp coarse salt for top
1 large baking sheet or pan 9x13 to 10x15. A baking stone makes the baking time longer and a tin sheet makes the time shorter. Check the Schiacciata after 15 minutes. The top and bottom should be a nice golden brown when it's time to remove it from the oven.
Mix water, sugar, salt, 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 cups of flour until it forms a smooth paste. Mix in the yeast. Let the mixture sit until the yeast is bubbling. This will take about five minutes, but if you're busy and you give it more time, don't worry about it.
Mix in the rest of the flour a little at a time. Mix and knead until the dough is a soft and slightly sticky. The dough will pull away slightly from the walls of the bowl but will not form a solid clump. The dough will stick to your finger if you poke it. You may need to add a bit more flour.
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to grease the sides of the bowl. Scoop the dough from the bowl and roll it around so it is covered in oil. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. (You can make the dough the day before and put it in the fridge. Just bring it to room temperature before trying to work with the dough.)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease the baking sheet. Divide the dough in half and carefully roll out to form a thin sheet. Place the dough on the baking sheet. If the dough over hangs the edges or is too thick, trim carefully. Place a layer of the thin slices of ham followed by a thin layer of cheese. Roll out the other half of the dough and place carefully on top. Trim any thick or overhanging edges. Pinch the edges together to keep the cheese from oozing out of the Schiacciata.
Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil on top and spread smoothly. Sprinkle the coarse the salt over the top. You can let it rest at this point for 15 minutes or pop it directly into the oven.
Cook on center rack for about 25 minutes.
* Prosciutto does not work well in the Schiacciata because it becomes tough when cooked.
