Rising to the task: Great loaves are easy when you have the right supplies and ingredients on hand

Chicago Tribune (MCT) - Baking bread at home can be one of the most soulful, satisfying ways to spend an afternoon _ especially when successes are shared at the dinner or breakfast table, or as gifts for neighbors and family.

When riffing with just four basic ingredients _ yeast, water, flour and salt _ technique and tools become more important.

We've come up with a list of essential equipment for frustration-free home baking with professional results. And we asked bread experts to share a few of their best tips for breadmaking.

Chef Laurent Gras and his team bake up to seven types of bread per day for dinner service at L20 in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. His secret for creating crisp-crusted, deeply colored loaves?

"Simply place a cast-iron pan in the bottom of the oven and pour water in to create some steam," Laurent said. This trick replicates the steam-injected professional ovens that large bakeries often use.

Rich Labriola, owner of Labriola Baking Co. in Alsip, Ill., agreed that steam is critical for artisanal bread baking. A high level of moisture in the oven allows the loaves to expand evenly while baking. But a common problem for home bakers is overmixing the dough.

"You are very unlikely to overdevelop the gluten in the dough if you mix by hand, but that idea keeps people from baking because they might think breadmaking is too tiring," he said. Careful use of an electric mixer will prevent the tight, dense interior created by too much kneading.

"An undermixed loaf may not be the most beautiful, but will be the best tasting," Labriola added.

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THE TOP TOOLS ...

Most of these products can be found in kitchenware shops as well as many larger department stores. Also check out specialty baking sites such as kingarthurflour.com and kitchenkapers.com.

Deep mixing bowls: A baker can never have enough bowls, and the luxury of not washing the same bowl over and over makes investing in several large ones worth it. We recommend glass, ceramic or stainless steel for versatility and functionality.

Dough-rising containers: Square plastic containers with tight fitting lids take up less room in the fridge while the dough is rising. Plus you can watch the volume increase incrementally if the sides are marked with graduations. Two quarts is a practical size. Buy a few extra to stack and store flours and sugars.

Kneading board: A wooden surface is best for kneading because it absorbs excess moisture from the dough. Look for a large (more than 12-inches wide) board with an edge that hooks over the counter to keep it from creeping all over.

Board scraper: This metal-bladed tool is perfect for cutting yeast doughs into the proper pieces when portioning and shaping rolls and loaves.

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Heavy-duty electric mixer with dough hook: The hook attachment is perfectly engineered to knead dough thoroughly without missing pockets of flour. A strong motor is a necessity when kneading heavy doughs. Hand mixers do not have enough power for bread doughs. A 5-quart bowl will be spacious enough for any job without allowing dry ingredients to escape and mess up your counter.

Baking stone: A stone creates a more even temperature and the crunchy-chewy crust that bakers seek. Also known as a pizza stone, this large porous tile can be left in the bottom of the oven at all times to even the heat. Labriola recommends baking bread directly on the stone. "Be sure to heat the oven longer," Labriola said, "to ensure that the stone is heated through to become a good source of bottom heat."

Heavy baking pans: Spring for long-lasting professional grade aluminum. Inexpensive baking sheets and loaf pans cause scorched crusts and uneven baking. Keep in mind that a dark-colored pan will create a darker crust.

Silicone pastry brush: The silicone revolution has improved the humble baking brush, making it sturdy (no lost bristles), heat resistant, odor-free and dishwasher-safe. We use ours for greasing pans and glazing loaves before, during and after baking.

Bread knife: A good-quality serrated knife allows you to enjoy the loaves you toiled over without crushing and tearing. Try to resist cutting a loaf of bread until it is cool to the touch; otherwise it might have a gummy interior.

Bread machine: Don't toss out your electric bread machine in favor of making bread by hand. While we don't usually bake in it, the machine does a thorough job of kneading the dough to save some elbow grease and puts pizza dough well within reach for a weeknight treat.

... AND IN THE PANTRY

Flour: Home bakers should keep unbleached, all-purpose flour and bread flour on hand. Bread flour is high in gluten (protein) and results in a stretchier dough and chewier result than with all-purpose flour _ don't just substitute willy-nilly or your tender loaves will end up tough. Whole-wheat flour is very low in gluten, but high in flavor and fiber. Try replacing ˝ cup of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour in favorite recipes. Keep all whole-grain products in the freezer to prevent them from going rancid.

Yeast: Although professional bakers often prefer yeast in a cake form, we recommend active dry yeast as an easy-to-use ingredient. If you plan on baking frequently, buy a jar of the dry yeast and keep it in the freezer. Avoid "rapid-rise" yeasts unless you are in a big hurry _ a fast rise can be uneven and unpredictable.

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Kosher salt: Easy to find and easy to measure, this ingredient is the salt of choice for most professionals. Don't leave out the salt in a yeast-leavened recipe _ it not only improves flavor but also prevents the dough from rising uncontrollably.

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GRISSINI

This recipe for Italian breadsticks is adapted from Nick Malgieri's new book, "The Modern Baker" (DK, $40). Grissini, he writes, are a specialty of Piemonte, Italy. He also explains the use of cold and warm water in this recipe: "Warm water is necessary to dissolve dry yeast, but the addition of the cold water afterward prevents the dough from overheating while being mixed."

Prep: 25 minutes

Rise: 2 hours

Cook: 22 minutes

Makes: 24 breadsticks

2 cups unbleached flour

3 ˝ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or lard

1 teaspoon salt

2 ˝ teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water, about 110 degrees

1/3 cup cold water

Cornmeal

1. Combine the flour, oil and salt in a food processor; pulse 10-15 times to incorporate the fat. Whisk the yeast into the warm water; add the mixture to the bowl. Pulse very quickly 2-3 times. Add the cold water; pulse until the dough forms a ball. Pulse continuously 10 seconds.

2. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; fold it over on itself several times to deflate. Return dough to bowl; cover. Refrigerate dough 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

3. Lightly dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal; set aside. Set racks to upper and lower thirds of the oven; heat to 325 degrees. Remove dough from the refrigerator; scrape onto a floured work surface. Press dough to deflate; press into a square. Cut into 4 smaller squares. Cut each of the squares into 6 equal strips.

4. Roll each of the strips to make a thin strand about 15 inches long; set on pan. (If the dough gets sticky, flour your hands.) Bake 12 minutes; turn pans for even cooking, if necessary. Bake until evenly gold and crisp, 10 minutes.

Nutrition information

Per breadstick: 56 calories, 33 percent of calories from fat, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 97 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

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