Pugliese, please!

Still working out of Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" I built these two of three (I ate one) loaves of Pugliese, a fairly wet dough, 85% water! I need to ask the local librarian what type and brand of flour it was that she gave me to make these from. My test guinea pig (The Mad Bulgarian) loved the bread and was jabbering at her mother in Bulgarian, via Skype, how good the bread was. I found myself trying to explain how the bread was built to a woman who spoke no English (let alone American!) via a translator who was so excited over having good bread to eat that she kept asking me questions in Bulgarian! (I had enough trouble trying to speak in English instead of the more confusing American.)

I don't know if the Mad One would have been as pleased with the Pugliese if DW hadn't placed them in a plastic bag for the 15 mile drive to present them. The short trip caused the once crisp crust to soften. I prefer wrapping such loaves in cloth or tucking them in paper bags. Transporting them in wicher baskets would be even better, or at least more picturesque?

DW also placed two loaves of Tuscan bread, made from the same unknown flour as the Pugliese, in plastic bags. Old habits die hard. (sigh) DW and DIL ate most of a loaf of Tuscan between them. I managed to get 4 slices for sandwiches and while I thought the bread was tasty, I didn't care for what keeping them in plastic did to the crust and crumb. I ended up giving the second loaf, still in a plastic bag, to DW's father who doesn't care what bread I'm making so long as he gets some of it. HE came to work the next day and began heaping praises on the best bread I'd ever brought him! He ate half the loaf the evening before and didn't think the other half would see another day.

Between the Mad One's rolling her eyes and smacking her lips as she ate Pugliese sandwiches slathered with Mayo and horseradish and stuffed with slices of smoked turkey, and FIL's going on about the Tuscan bread, I'm tempted to say I've achieved Arete in bread building and move on to some other venture (like making a perfect sausage?) Now there's a laugh! As I understand Arete, I'm not supposed to attain perfection, only to struggle toward it. Besides, I have an idea as to what perfect bread is and I haven't made it yet!

Now I need to get back to the kitchen where I have some pretty passable egg noodles to finish making so I can send them off as Christmas gifts. Three batches to a friend in Florida and one back to the person who gifted the dozen free range/grass fed chicken eggs! Yum!