When I was first learning spanish, I was often at a loss for words. I would try to translate my thoughts into spanish and all too often I lacked words that I needed to explain myself. This happened daily in the beginning and all too often way more than once a day.
One memorable time was on a Sunday afternoon when I was washing dishes after a lunch which fed almost 300 people from the street. Three hundred people eating means 300 plates, 300 cups, 300 sets of silverware and a whole lot of garbage. This required large buckets as well as lots of soap and water. In order to fill the buckets with water, I asked for the…for the…el serpiente verde (the green snake)! I had no idea what the word was for hose in spanish; I do now, it’s manguera.
Why do I tell you this? Well it was what caused me a little chuckle in this month’s directions for the Babes challenge. Ilva was explaining how to form and shape the knots and started out by saying “roll them it into long snakes (sorry can’t remember the proper term).” It really is so difficult to explain what we mean when we can’t find the appropriate words in the correct language.
These knots were delicious morsels of goodness but it did take awhile to shape each of them. My friends that ate them remarked that they were delicious but commented what they looked like. Fat lips. Mini butts. Herniated belly buttons. What do you think?
Italian Knot Bread
(Pane di Pasta Tenera Condita)
biga:
3 1/2 cups of bread flour
3/4 teaspoon of dry active yeast
1 cup water (I usually need a little more)
1. Mix the flour and yeast together in a bowl with high sides. Add the water and stir to combine. Cover loosely and leave it for 15-24 hours.
bread:
1 tablespoon of dry active yeast
7 cups of 00 italian flour
1/4 cup of shortening
1 1/2 tablespoons of salt
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
450-550 ml lukewarm water
entire biga
1. Dissolve the yeast in little tepid water.
2. Mix the flour and shortening in a large bowl with your fingers until forms pea-sized crumbs.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour. Mix as well as you can. Add salt, olive oil, honey and warm water and add it to the flour. Stir together well and then add the biga. Knead the dough until it is smooth and doesn’t stick, between 5-10 minutes.
3. Place the dough into a big bowl coated with cooking spray, turn dough to coat all parts. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic and leave it to rise until it has doubled.
4. Divide the dough into 48 equal parts, roll each into 10 inch long strands and shape. See Ilva’s blog for directions on forming. Place the knots on baking sheets coated with cooking spray, spray the knots with cooking spray, loosely cover them with plastic and allow them to rise until doubled.
5. Bake at 390F for 30-35 minutes.
Italian Knot Bread is being served up as the Bread Baking Babes challenge of the month. This months challenge was hosted by Ilva of Lucillian Delights, May’s kitchen of the month. You too can be a bread baking buddy and earn a badge! You have until May 30th to bake this bread. Check out further details on becoming a buddy on Lucillian Delights. Or enjoy one of the other Bread Baking Challenge breads which I have baked.
Well it could be all of those names really, they just look delicious to me! Wonderful rolls Gretchen, a star for you that you that you managed to bake them this month!
So good to know that you understand me when it comes to expressing oneself in a foreign language, I am in a constant limbo with three languages always buzzing in my head! I am happy you could join despite your current kitchen condition! they look great!
I love these rolls , they look great and so inviting!
I like “herniated belly button” the most! That made me laugh out loud … your knots and sandwich looks perfect!
I’m fascinating how differently we all baked these ones, I mean the number of knots that we made from the dough. You made 48, I made 22, and didn’t someone make 12?
I’m happy that you could bake with us this month, despite all the obstacles!
I like the belly button too. But they really are so cute, you just want to spank them.
I love your knotting, your rolls look beautiful.
I wouldn’t mind if my butt looked that yummy! Great job Gretchen, and what a load of bread you had to share, hope you had fun.
I got somewhere around 25 rolls from one batch.
ummmm what do I think … I think I love: Fat lips. Mini butts. Herniated belly buttons. hehehe
and I know I love these rolls!!
Now we know we’re all twisted and knotted after this bread;o)
I have that problem every day! The hardest thing for me is knowing that the word I want simply doesn’t exist in French: the word “ennuyant” means both “boring” and “annoying.” I can’t tell you how “annoying” it is to try to explain what seems like such an apparent difference to me to other people!
I’m sure that if I ever go somewhere that requires me to know another language other than English, I’m going to be in a much worse state than you. My high school French probably wouldn’t stand me in good stead… I love those rolls though – maybe I’m not creative enough, but they just look like knotty tastiness to me
LOL @ green snake! Hey that happens to all of us who learn a new language. It’s so funny when you are in a large group and they all laugh at you, Hehe. Great bread. I admire you bbb participants because I get to admire beautiful and delicious breads every month
these look delicious but they look pretty difficult to make the knot .
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Good to see you ‘ve been able to un-knot yourselve and find the time to bake. And they look great !Yummie !
[...] Baking Babes :: Gorel (Grain Doe): BBB – Italian Knot Bread :: Gretchen (CanelaYComino): {BBB} Italian Knot Bread :: Ilva (Lucullian Delights): PANE DI PASTA TENERA CONDITA or ITALIAN KNOT BREAD :: Karen (Bake My [...]
they look perfect! everyone has come up with such great uses for them, i only slather mine with butter and gobbled them down, didn’t even think of sandwiches!
Actually I think they look pretty cute! And I know ALL about messy translations -it’s funny how our brain works and how we deal with a second (or third) language.
Fat lips. Mini butts. Herniated belly buttons…tee hee! Love ‘m all & how well described. Loved the take of the kitchen too. That bread is super, & I wish I had the time to join BBB. Maybe one day I will. Much love to you!
Your rolls look perfect! My daughter, who was my rolling and shaping helper, thought they looked like butts, as well. Perhaps we could call them plumber’s rolls.
Delicioso! Perfect for a summer picnik.
Thanks for sharing:)
And you can visit me if I can visit you:)
Welcome!
foodcreate.com
These rolls look great! I think the hose looks like a green snake – that’s a terrific description.
This bread seems really so inviting. It looks like the Romans’ “rosette”. I live in Sardinia and would like to post the Sardinian bread recipe here, but it cannot be made on a common oven at home.
Buon appetito!
Such perfectly knotted rolls. It’s just begging to be drizzled in really good olive oil.
Nice buns! The peanut butter dessert in the post previous is lovely, too. Your photography is so good these days!