A Bread A Day

Week Twenty-Nine: African Breads

Moroccan cuisine is generally regarded as one of the most diverse on the planet.  Being a crossroads between the European, African, and Arabic worlds, Moroccan food draws inspiration from native North African Berber, Spanish, French, Turkish, Indian, Italian, Jewish, and Moorish cooking traditions – and from just about anyone else who’s even sneezed a grain of black pepper in their general direction.

It’s full of every spice imaginable, and the incredible fragrances that fill your home when you create a Moroccan dish will drive your neighbors wild.  Think dried fruit, preserved lemon, honey, olive oil, mint, lamb, and couscous, and you’ve still just barely scratched the surface.

In Morocco, meals are always accompanied by bread, as bread is generally used in lieu of utensils.  Breads are usually flat, and can be anywhere from a few inches to a few feet across.  Like other areas surrounding the Mediterranean, two kinds of wheat make up the majority of starch in the diet: either common (a.k.a. bread) wheat or durum (a.k.a. semolina) wheat.  Semolina, of course, is best known for its use in making pasta, or more commonly in Morocco, couscous.

But though common wheat is (ahem) common in Morocco, breads are often made with a combination of different types of flours; barley and semolina flours are often added to common wheat flour.  The bread for today, ksra, is typically made with all three, and is flavored with aniseed and sesame seeds.  You’d typically see this bread paired with any and every main dish imaginable, but it’s quite useful for soaking up any liquid left on the plate from your stew-like (and ubiquitous) tajine.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that I have approximately ten thousand types of flour in my cabinet right now, I had no barley flour when I went to make this bread.  Nor did I have aniseed; so a few substitutions were in order.  I did, however, have semolina flour, so that was a start, and the anise-flavor of the fennel seeds in my spice rack would make a fair stand-in.

The end result was really fabulous, a soft and slightly sweet bread, about as thick as a standard focaccia, that impeccably stood up to a rather non-authentically-Moroccan spread of soft brie, spiced oil, and fresh figs.  The crust had a slight crispness just out of the oven, but softened a bit after standing, retaining a pleasant chew.  The interior had a cheerful softness, and the sporadic notes of licorice from the pale green fennel seeds provided a soft, herbal backdrop.  Paired with a glass of wine, it was a thoroughly enjoyable repast.

This bread was really quite easy to make, with its relatively short rising time, and would absolutely enhance any cheese platter or charcuterie plate.  Of course, if you happen to have some couscous in the pantry, it would be the ideal accompaniment to your favorite tajine recipe – or a perfect time to find a favorite!  (Oh, and don’t forget the mint tea for a truly authentic experience.  You can’t throw a rock in Morocco without hitting a cup of mint tea.)

Ksra (Moroccan Flatbread)
Adapted from Bread, by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter
Makes 2 loaves

9 ounces unbleached bread flour
3 ounces (1/2 cup) semolina
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
7 ounces (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) water, at room temperature
2 teaspoons light honey
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
Sesame seeds, for finishing

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, semolina, fennel, salt, and yeast.  Add the water, honey, and 2 tablespoons olive oil, and mix with the dough hook at low speed until a rough dough forms.  Scrape the bowl if needed, and increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the dough forms a cohesive ball that clears the sides of the bowl, and becomes elastic.

2.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times, forming the dough into a round ball with a skin stretching over the outside.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Gently deflate the dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Divide the dough into two equal halves, and shape each into a round ball.  Flatten each piece slightly, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

4.  Working with one piece at a time, and keeping the other covered, roll each out to a flat round about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, using a rolling pin.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400º F.

5.  Gently brush the risen loaves with olive oil, being careful not to deflate them.  Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over the top, and using a skewer or fork, prick the tops several times.

6.  Bake at 400º F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through.  Remove the bread to a wire rack to cool briefly before slicing, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Notes:
1.  You can certainly make this bread any size or thickness you like, but ksra is traditionally about plate-sized, and slightly thinner than focaccia, but thicker than naan.

Week Twenty-Nine: African Breads

Previously in this project, I’ve featured breads of France,  Italy, America, and Scandinavia.  This week, I thought I’d take a plunge and look at the land that originated yeast bread as we know it (and, you know, humanity itself): Africa.  (And yes, I’m fully aware that Africa is a huge continent, full of myriad cultures, and that I’m grossly generalizing things when I say “African Bread”.  But I’m just baking bread here, not writing my dissertation.  I figure I’m allowed some leeway.)

First, a confession: I don’t really know much about African breads.  Or anything, really.  Part of this ignorance comes from being your standard, off-the-rack American, but part of it comes from the fact that Africa isn’t really known for their bread.  The climate generally not being suitable for growing wheat (except for regions of North Africa), few nations or groups in Africa have quite the same relationship with bread that, say, the French do.

But climate notwithstanding, some very lovely breads have nevertheless come from Africa, made either with non-wheat grains, or with imported wheat flour, first actually brought over by the Carthaginians.  This week, I hope not only going to learn about African breads, but to teach you about them too!

I have long known that the Ancient Egyptians were the first humans to bake yeasted bread as we know it on a large, almost industrial scale (in the 12th Century BC!), though leavened bread likely dates to prehistoric times.  But fascinatingly, I have only recently learned that another grain- and yeast-based staff of life – beer – was created at about the same time.  In fact, beer and bread were very nearly the same thing for the Ancient Egyptians: an early type of beer was made by crumbling a half-baked loaf of bread (not cooked enough to kill the yeast) into a vat of water, and letting the mixture ferment.

Beer and bread were so vital to survival for the Ancient Egyptians that wages were even often paid in the form of beer and bread (or in the grains used to make both, emmer wheat or barley).  One of the oldest hieroglyphs was what’s called a “bread cone“, which translates to mean “to give”.  Very telling of the culture, that!

Giving a nod to this history, I’m kicking things off this week with a yeasted flatbread (as might have been typical), flavored with an Egyptian spice mixture called dukka.  Also known as duqqa or dukkah, this mixture can vary wildly, depending on who’s making it.  Generally speaking, though, it is a mixture of nuts (usually hazelnuts or chickpeas), pepper, cumin, coriander, and sesame seeds, though it can include a dizzying array of additional seasonings.  It can be loose and crumbly, or it can be a thick paste, depending on preference and intended usage.

But all I know is that man! does it make your house smell good!  So fragrant!  So earthy!  And really, it doesn’t matter what you put in it – I’ve seen recipes using coconut, cinnamon, coffee, pumpkin seeds, thyme, five-spice, curry, and every nut from here to next week – just use whatever you love or have on hand.  It’s similar in many ways to a blend called za’atar, which you may be familiar with, except that za’atar generally uses thyme as its main ingredient (za’atar is the Arabic word for a certain type of thyme).

The recipe below for the dukka makes more than you’ll need for flavoring the bread, but you’ll surely want to have extra around after you smell it.  Like any spice blend, it’s got a million and one uses, but a very traditional use is to set a plate out next to a dish of olive oil, for dipping a piece of bread into (oil first, then dukka).  It can be used as a rub or crust for meats, for sprinkling over eggs, for flavoring rice, or simply garnishing soups or salads or anything else.  One extremely enticing suggestion I saw was to use it in an Arabian-style guacamole.  This, of course, means I’m having Arabian guacamole for dinner tomorrow.

The bread here is a fairly standard flatbread; the dough is lightly flavored with honey and olive oil, but otherwise simple enough.  It does, however, have a long, slow rise, which contributes greatly to the excellent flavor it has.  If you have time, it’s even better if you let it rise overnight in the fridge, though it’s not necessary.

Yes, this bread is good enough on its own; but spiced up with dukka, it’s amazing.  It’s just really, really good.  Crisp and chewy, complex and intensely flavorful, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than this.  If you happen to have any leftovers, I highly recommend cutting the bread into wedges, toasting them, and serving with hummus.  Yes, please.

Egyptian Spiced Flatbread
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Makes 8 six-inch flatbreads

For dukka:
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1/4 cup pistachios, toasted
1/4 cup almonds, toasted
1/4 cup peanuts, toasted
5 teaspoons coriander seeds
4 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons nigella seeds (see note 2 below)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon paprika (hot or sweet)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For bread:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra
A scant 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup very warm water (115 – 125° F)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
Kosher salt, for finishing

1.  To make dukka: toast nuts together in a 350° F oven for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just golden and fragrant.  Let cool to room temperature.  Meanwhile, toast remaining spices (except for paprika, cinnamon, and salt) in a large pan over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until fragrant and toasted.  In a food processor or an electric coffee or spice grinder, pulse all ingredients until very finely ground, about 3 minutes.  Leave a little powdery; do not grind to a paste.  Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt.  Add the warm water, honey, and olive oil.  Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until a rough dough forms.  Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and forms a cohesive ball, about 5 minutes.  If necessary, add 2 to 3 teaspoons more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough achieves the proper consistency.

3.  Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

4.  Place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 425° F.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and let stand, covered with plastic wrap, for 15 minutes.

5.  Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough (keep remaining pieces covered) on a lightly floured surface into a very thin round, about 6 inches across.  Transfer each round to one of the prepared baking sheets, and cover with plastic wrap.  Repair any tears in the dough by pinching it together.  Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.  Brush each round with olive oil, and sprinkle each round liberally with dukka.  Dust kosher salt lightly over the tops.

6.   Bake the rounds at 425° F for 5 minutes.  Switch the position of the pans and rotate them 180 degrees, then continue baking for 5 additional minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool the bread on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer flatbreads to a rack.  Serve warm.

Notes:
1.  Because dukka contains nuts, which go rancid fairly rapidly, you should store dukka in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, or in the freezer for about 6 months to a year.

2.  Nigella seeds, also known as black cumin, can be found in Middle Eastern or Indian markets, and have a wonderful complex, earthy, and spicy flavor.  If you can’t find them, you can simply omit them.

3.  I used toasted nuts here, because I wanted the depth of flavor; but raw is just as good.  In fact, if you use dukka for dishes that benefit from long, slow cooking, you may prefer to use raw nuts to avoid any burnt flavors that may result from the nuts being overdone.

Week Twenty-Eight: Breads With Nuts

If you like cardamom – which I absolutely do – you should try this bread.  Pine nut and cardamom are one of those unusual and delightful pairings often seen in Middle Eastern and Southeastern European (i.e, Turkish) cooking.  The fragrant, unique flavor of cardamom, when combined with the buttery, nutty flavor of toasted pine nuts, takes on a spicy and vibrant tone that can become either savory or sweet, depending on any accompaniments.

Here, I’ve taken a trick from a gorgeous cake recipe that uses whole (shelled) cardamom seeds in the batter, creating bursts of cardamom flavor throughout the cake.  The seeds may seem like they would be hard if bitten into, but I figured if it’s okay in a cake, then it’s okay in a bread.  I did, however, crush them lightly to avoid any massive bits, and to spread the few seeds more evenly throughout the loaf.

In another nod to Middle Eastern cooking, I’ve also added a splash of orange flower water to add a little floral character and a citrus-y lightness to the mix.  If you don’t have any on hand, it’s fine to omit; but I just love the pairing of all three flavors.  On the technique side of things, I’ve used an autolyse period to get the maximum flavor out of the bread itself, to create the best possible backdrop for these unassuming yet gently insistant flavors.

The end result was a chewy, open-crumbed bread, with a cheerfully golden color, dotted through with toothsome bits of pine nut and tiny, dark specks of cardamom seeds that burst into little fireworks on your tongue.  The crust softened a bit after standing, due to the olive oil in the dough, but was still firm enough to provide substance.

This is a slightly exotic bread, a fusion of European-style bread with Middle Eastern flavor, ideal for pairing with whatever Persian dish you may choose to whip up.  Think savory rice with cinnamon and currants, lamb with yogurt sauce, charred kebabs of any kind of meat, the flavors of rose and pomegranate laced with saffron.  Whether simple or elaborate, you’re sure to please with this winner!

Pine Nut Cardamom Bread
Makes 1 loaf

14 ounces (about 3 cups) unbleached bread flour, divided
1 cup water, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons orange flower water (optional)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped (see note 1 below)
6 whole cardamom pods

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 12 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) of the flour and all of the water.  Mix until all the flour is moistened.  Cover, and let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.  While the dough rests, prepare pine nuts as directed (see note 1 below).  Set aside.  To prepare cardamom, gently crush the pods with the flat side of a chef’s knife, or with a mortar and pestle, only until they crack open.  Remove and separate the seeds, discarding the hulls.  You can crush the seeds lightly if you like.  Set aside.

2.  After the dough has rested, add the salt, yeast, oil, and orange flower water to the flour mixture in the bowl.  Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until all the ingredients are fully integrated, about 2 minutes.  You may need to add a handful of flour to help the ingredients incorporate.

3.  Increase the speed to medium-low, and continue kneading until the dough clears the sides and bottom of the bowl, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the remaining flour by spoonfuls as needed to achieve the proper consistency; the dough should be a bit slack, but should form a cohesive ball that clears the sides of the bowl.  Reduce the speed to low, and add the chopped pine nuts and cardamom seeds.  Continue mixing until evenly incorporated, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead a few times, until a skin forms around the outside of the dough.   Pull the skin taught around the dough, forming a round ball.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides with the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5.  Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Gently deflate, and form the dough into a long loaf shape, tapering the ends.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400º F, along with a baking stone (if using).

6.  Uncover the bread, and using a sharp serrated knife, make one decisive slash quickly down the center of the bread, lengthwise.  Bake the loaves (on the baking sheet, or on a baking stone if using) at 400º F for 10 minutes, using your favorite steam technique (see note 2 below).  Continue baking for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through and browned.  An instant read thermometer should register about 200º F when inserted into the center.  Remove to a wire rack, and allow the bread to cool thoroughly before slicing.

Notes:
1.  To toast pine nuts, spread evenly in a sheet pan and bake at 325ºF until just golden brown and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool to room temperature before using.

2.  Unless you have a steam-injecting oven (and I’m coming over immediately), you might want to try one of these methods for getting steam onto your bread, and have the crispiest crust imaginable.  I prefer simply spraying the loaf itself with a fine mist of water from a squirt bottle before baking, and every 2 minutes thereafter, until the recipe says to stop.  You can also place a rimmed baking dish or other oven-safe pan on the floor of the oven to preheat along with it, and toss ice cubes into the hot pan when you place the dough in the oven, and replenish as they melt away.  Remove the pan when the recipe indicates to stop the steam.  There are other methods, but I find these to be the most effective.

3.  You can use 1 teaspoon ground cardamom instead of the cardamom seeds if you like, but I highly recommend trying the seeds.

Week Twenty-Eight: Breads With Nuts

This recipe is extra special, you guys!  Here’s why!  Were you aware that in 2005, Team USA won the Coupe du Monde?  I’m sure you know what that is, but for all the incogniscenti, it’s basically the World Cup of Pâtisserie, or in American terms, the Baking Olympics.  Our three man team not only defeated the reigning world champs, the Japanese team, but we beat the French, too!  That’s right, we out-baguetted the French! 

I know, right?!

This recipe was apparently one of their winning creations, and was designed to pay homage to Jimmy Carter, who was once a peanut farmer.  But whatever the inspiration, this bread is super-good!  I’ve tweaked things a bit, mostly in the shaping and instruction end of things, as the original instructions directed you to make a really beautiful but really, really hard to explain shape.  (It’s two fendus bent around to look like a peanut!)  I also fiddled with the recipe itself, because when I followed the given directions, my dough ended up more like batter than dough.

Now, I’m not one to be scared of a wet dough; many of the best breads I’ve made have seemed overly-wet.  They tend to firm up a bit when they rise, as the flour absorbs the water, and such.  Besides, more water in your dough means an airier bread, since water expands to 1,600 times its size when it turns to steam.  (And that’s how come we can power locomotives and turbines and such with just some hot water.  Neat!)  That steam pushes your dough up and away when it expands, and creates pretty holes in your bread before the structure cooks and sets firmly in place.  No, I’m not scared of wet dough, but this was ridiculous.  Even with the adjustments, it was still incredibly wet, to the point of being impossible to knead by hand.

So I’ve adjusted the hydration levels a bit (oh, and translated from the original metric measurements); feel free to adjust to your whim also.  I also increased the amount of peanuts used, as I wanted a real peanutty flavor, not just a faint scent.  And, boy, did this bread deliver!  It tastes like eating a bread peanut, you guys!  If that bothers you, don’t hesitate to decrease the amount a little.

The mostly whole wheat starter used in this recipe is fabulous for two main reasons: the whole wheat complements the flavor of the peanuts beautifully, and the texture also helps disguise any graininess that the freshly ground peanut meal might impart to a totally white flour bread.  It’s important that the whole wheat flour is used for the starter, because the overnight “soak” mellows any bitter flavors in the flour, and helps soften the bran in the flour, which might otherwise cut through your developing gluten (making the bread dense and tough).

You can tell from the picture that there are lovely, giant holes in the bread; but unfortunately, they’re not really evenly distributed, they all clustered at the top.  This means that my dough was too wet, and the heavy bulk of the dough slumped down around those rising pockets of steam.  It’s important to listen to your dough, no matter what the recipe tells you to do!  The dough knows what’s going on far better than any sheet of paper!  If it tells you it’s too wet, then it’s too wet!

Overly-wet dough aside, this bread is really quite delicious.  The recipe instructs you to bake the bread at 475º F, which seems unreasonably high, possibly even a typo.  But it works perfectly, especially with such a wet dough.  Just trust me; it’s not going to burn your bread.  The crust turns out crisp and beautiful, and the crumb is airy, chewy, and delightfully full of holes (though the slices end up a bit misshapen).

And the flavor!  Oh, it really, truly does taste like the distilled essence of peanut, come into bread form.  If you like peanut, you really shouldn’t pass this up.  Need I suggest topping a slice with your favorite jam, or with a banana and honey?  Dare I mention Nutella?  Or using this bread as the base for your favorite Elvis-style sandwich?  Oh, now I’m getting hungry.

Good thing for me, though, that one of those three bakers, one member of Coupe-du-Monde-winning Team USA 2005 has a bakery not 15 minutes from my home!  Maybe I should try to convince Chef Downer to reprise this creation, so I can try the real thing!  Bennison’s ftw!

Peanut Bread
Adapted from Bread Bakers Guild Team USA 2005, via Breadcetera
Makes 2 loaves

For starter:
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
5 1/2 ounces (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) whole wheat flour
2/3 cup water, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

For final dough:
1 1/2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) peanuts, toasted and ground finely (see note 1 below)
15 ounces (about 3 1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon instant yeast

1.  To make the starter, whisk together the flours and the yeast.  Add the water and mix until smooth.  The starter will be stiff.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, or for about 12 hours.

2.  To make the final dough, prepare the peanuts as directed (see note 1 below).  Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 12 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) of the flour and all of the water.  Mix until all the flour is moistened.  Cover, and let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.

3.  After the rest period (autolyse), add all of the starter, the yeast, and the salt to the flour mixture in the bowl.  Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until all the ingredients are fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.  Increase the speed to medium-low, and continue kneading until the dough clears the sides and bottom of the bowl, about 10 minutes.  Add the remaining flour by spoonfuls as needed to achieve the proper consistency; the dough should be slack but not wet, and should form a cohesive ball.  Reduce the speed to low, and add the peanut meal.  Continue mixing until all the peanut meal is evenly incorporated, about 3 minutes.

4.  Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.  Using a nonstick spatula, gently deflate and fold the dough over itself in a tri-fold (as though you were folding a letter).  Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.

5.  Repeat the folding procedure, cover, and let rise 1 hour more.

6.  Repeat the folding procedure a third time, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Divide the dough into 2 even halves.  Shape each into a round, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

7.  Shape each piece into a long, oval loaf, and transfer to a parchment paper-lined or lightly-greased baking sheet.  Dust liberally with additional flour, cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and let rise until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 475º F, along with a baking stone (if using).

8.  Bake the loaves at 475º F for 10 minutes, using your favorite steam technique (see note 2 below).  Continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, or until cooked through and browned.  An instant read thermometer should register about 200º F when done.  Remove to a wire rack, and allow the loaves to cool thoroughly before slicing.

Notes:
1.  To roast peanuts, spread evenly in a sheet pan and bake at 350ºF until fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Cool to room temperature, then grind into a fine meal, either by hand in a mortar and pestle, or in a food processor.  If you use a food processor, use quick pulses to ensure that the peanuts are not overprocessed into peanut butter.

2.  Unless you have a steam-injecting oven (and I’m coming over immediately), you might want to try one of these methods for getting steam onto your bread, and have the crispiest crust imaginable.  I prefer simply spraying the loaf itself with a fine mist of water from a squirt bottle before baking, and every 2 minutes thereafter, until the recipe says to stop.  You can also place a rimmed baking dish or other oven-safe pan on the floor of the oven to preheat along with it, and toss ice cubes into the hot pan when you place the dough in the oven, and replenish as they melt away.  Remove the pan when the recipe indicates to stop the steam.  There are other methods, but I find these to be the most effective.