San Biagio – Holiday Tradition in Milan – Panettone and more Panettone

Strolling along the streets of Milan, during the early days of February, Panettone, the Christmas bread of Milan, is sold with steep discounts. While not all stores will offer such heavy discounts the tradition is “two Panettone for the price of one.” Many think that this is an end of season sale to eliminate the remaining inventory of Panettone, instead nothing could be farther from the truth. This tradition is deeply routed in Milan’s culture. The 3rd of February is day where all Milanesi eat Panettone. This is the day of San Biagio.

San Biagio was born in Armenia at the end of the III century AD. He was a prominent doctor and the people of Armenia wanted him to become Bishop. He did not want to accept the position. He felt he was not worthy. He did finally accept however he continued to practice his profession of physician.

During a religious function a woman approached him carrying her son who was choking. The child had swallowed a fishbone and it was stuck in his throat. The Bishop threw aside his religious duties, realized the boy’s difficulty and shoved a piece of consecrated bread in the boy’s mouth and made him swallow. The bread carried the fishbone into the boy’s stomach allowing the child to breathe. The congregation cried miracle. The Bishop attempted to keep a low profile but word of his miracles reached the governor of the Roman province who did not like the public appeal of this upstart religious man.

Agricola, the Pretore, was convinced that the best solution was to kill San Biagio and that his following would soon disband. Agricola summoned San Biagio to his court. San Biagio was skinned alive with iron combs and then decapitated in a show of power of the Roman Empire. The error was fatal to the Pretore’s political career. San Biagio first became a Martyr and later Saint. San Biagio is the Protector Saint of the Throat.

The question remains what does this have to do with the Milan. San Biagio never visited Milan. We must advance several centuries. The Catholic church is now the official religion of the state. Panettone is prepared for the Christmas holidays and as all things related to the religious culture a matriarch took her Panettone to the local priest, Desiderio, to be blessed. Desiderio was very busy for the holidays and suggested that the lady leave the Panettone and he would bless it as soon as he could. She could then visit and take the Panettone home. The woman forgot her Panettone and the days passed but the priest had not forgotten the delicious sweet bread.

Every day he would walk by the Panettone and break off a small piece to eat. The days passed and the Panettone became smaller and smaller until it was completed consumed. The matriarch finally remembered her Panettone and went to visit Desiderio on the third of February. Slowly the priest went the corner where the Panettone should have laid inside its shiny wrapping. Much to his surprise the wrapper was filled with a Panettone twice the size of the original. Out of relief he cried, “Miracolo, deve essere stato San Biagio!”

The woman convinced that he spoke of the increased size of the Panettone told her neighbors and the following year many more Panettone arrived to be blessed. Desiderio explained that miracles are not so easily achieved but that each family should keep the blessed Panettone at least through the third of February. The Panettone should be consumed instead of blessed bread and that San Biagio would protect them. Since San Biagio is the Saint Protector of the throat today, it is believed by old and young alike, that eating Panettone on the 3rd of February will protect them from illness in the cold hinterland winter. The two for one sale is because of the Miracle of the Growing Panettone!

If Panettone goes on sale at your local store, buy one and set it aside for the 3rd of February. It may not be as effective as the flu shot but it surely is more tasty!

Tags: Holiday Traditions Milan Lombardia Winter Vacation Panettone Travel Italy

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Pane dei Morti – Bread of the Dead

The light of the Sun fights its way through the thick cloud cover as the early morning fog engulfs the streets, muffling the usual city noise. The clouds are low in the sky, the buildings, streets, and people merge together in a grey hue. Milan has become one great mausoleum. It is the Day of the Dead, sometimes known as All Souls, but for the Italians it is “I Morti.” Italy is a family based society and family is the thing that holds them together over time, weathering the good and the bad. The extended family includes those passed on, remembered throughout the year but even the most skeptical of individuals will visit the cemetery on the Day of the Dead.

Several generations of the family will gather. The tombstones cleaned. The children play while silent tears sneak down the cheeks of those mourning, remembering, loving those no longer near. “Il Nonno che ha costruito l’ospedale,” says a small child pointing to the picture on the marble shrine. The father pulls his child close and carefully tells the story of his father’s life.

It is logical to expect that a culture based on family ties would have a holiday bread associated with the remembrance of those who have come before us. There are many versions of Pane dei Morti throughout Italy. This is the most widely used recipe in Lombardia. Local pastry shops will begin preparing Pane dei Morti during the last two weeks of October through the Epiphany in January.

Ingredients:

1/4 lbs. (100 g) Almonds
1 lbs. (450 g) Savoiardi (Lady Fingers) or Amaretti
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (300 g) sugar (brown sugar can also be used)
1/4 lbs (125 g) dried figs diced into small pieces
1/4 lbs (125 g) white raisins soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
1 Package (7 g) active dry yeast
4 Egg Whites
White Wine
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
Powdered Sugar
Communion wafers

Blanch the Almonds in boiling water. Remove the peel and mince.

Drain the Raisins and pat dry with a towel.

Crumb the Savoiardi or Amaretti to a powder and mix with the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the raisins, the figs, the almonds, the sugar, the dry yeast and cinnamon. Mix the ingredients well.

Cakes Available online

Tags: Gourmet Foods Almonds Holiday Breads Italian Holidays Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Rosetta – Italian rose shaped dinner rolls

Bread has been the basis of human nutrition for thousands of years. It symbolizes mother earth and is part of our most antique traditions. I remember my grandfather who would not eat dinner without a piece of bread to accompany every meal. Unfortunately in his later years, fresh bread was no longer easily accessible but he was there, at the head of the table with two pieces of wonder bread, next to his fork.

Today, bread is an outcast; fad diets of no carbohydrates and allergies to yeast have further deteriorated our knowledge of this basic element. Our culinary culture dedicates itself to the exotic special effects of mixing and matching ingredients from numerous cultures. We watch with fascination Food Network as the Iron Chefs battle to make several course dishes with a myriad of helpers in an hour. We search the web for recipes of Tyler Florence’s Italian red cream sauce with peas and buy his Italian seasoning hoping to recover some of the good aspects of good food, friends and wine, but we have forgotten the simplest and most satisfying elements, bread.

For those who love bread, who are embracing the antique traditions, each bread has its own personality. The ingredients may be the same but the temperature of the oven, the way the bread is shaped, the amount of time the dough rises, all influence the end product. The amount of surface area, the thickness of the crust, even the sound the crust makes as the warm bread is split open accentuate the personality of the different breads. The Rosetta is a simple dough: flour, yeast, water and a pinch of salt. After a two hour rise, the dough is flattened and folded and allowed to rise again. Once baked it starts to open like a spring rose. The five petals swell and push upwards and outwards, creating little morsel of marvelous, sumptuous bites of flavor.

Ingredients

3 ¾ cups (500 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
2/3 cup (150 g) Biga
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 package (7 g) active dry yeast
2 ½ tsp salt

Preparation:

Mix the salt together with the flour.

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Stir in the yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.

Place the Biga in a mixing bowl. Add the water-yeast mixture and stir together. Stir in the flour-salt mixture and knead for 5 minutes (10 minutes if done by hand).

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 2 hours.

Shaping:

Place the dough on a lightly floured, hard surface.

Flatten by hand to about 1 inch thick.

Cut 10 equal pieces of dough with a 3 inch diameter disk or glass and set aside. There will be just enough dough for a half roll. Press the dough together and roll into a long thin log. The girth should be that of the man’s pinky finger. With a knife, cut the log into 10 equal pieces.

Place one disk of dough into the center of the work area. Roll with a rolling pin to ¼ inch thickness maintaining the circular shape.

Place the left hand index finger in the center of the circle. With the other hand, fold the top of the circle to the left hand’s index finger and press. Rotate the dough 45 degrees and repeat. Continue until the last fold (should be the fifth) is simply a triangle. Close in both sides of the triangle and pull the last fold into the center and press.

Place one of the log cuts in the center and turn the rosetta upside down and let sit for 30 minutes.

Repeat for the remaining nine disks.

Baking:

Once the rosette have rested for 30 minutes, place parchment paper into two baking pans. Place 5 rosette in each pan, folds up. Leave at least 2 inches between the rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let sit for ¾ hour.

Preheat the oven to 410 degrees.

Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 28 minutes. Check for the appropriate golden brown color. If you desire a darker roll add an additional 2 minutes.

Cool on a rack or in a bin.

Once the bread has cooled for at least 20 minutes, you can break off a piece. It should crunch just like the bread from Italy.

I eat one of these for breakfast with butter and jam together with a cappuccino. While heating the milk, I place the roll in an oven toaster for 5 minutes at 200 degrees.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Bread Italian Bread Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Tartaruga – Italian Turtle Bread – A panino lover’s dream

Italian breads are marvelous. Not just for the extreme flavor and combination of ingredients but also because of their wide range of uses. Panini filled with dried meats and fresh cut cheeses are an important part of the daily routine. Whether it be a solution for lunch or a quick dinner or snack fresh bread is part of every meal. Bread’s flavor is in the crust, the greater the surface area and the darkness of the crust the more intense the flavor. Crusts are great for flavor but make panini sometimes difficult to eat. To eat my Michetta, Prosciutto and Taleggio panino I would place it flat on the table and squash it with my hand, breaking the crust into more manageable bites.

During my period in Rome, I would often go out on Saturday afternoon to shop in the local stores and markets. I noticed that my favorite cheese shop had a relatively large number of buns a bit different in shape. The buns were flatter, a bit wider and looked like a turtle shell. It was the Tartaruga, a favorite bread for making panini among the Romani.

I have researched the origins of the Tartaruga and have found little about its origins even though the ingredients, a mix of wheat and cornmeal flour, suggest that this is an antique recipe. Perhaps is was created to satisfy those, like me, who wanted a flavorful bread, to stuff with various ingredients, that would not cut your gums to pieces. The Tartaruga is a wonderful soft bread with a crunchy, but not striated, crust. The incisions performed just before baking created the beautiful pattern of a turtle shell and increase the surface area thus flavor. The inside is soft and airy, perfect for stuffing with Speck, Prosciutto, and cheeses. The bread has sufficient consistency to hold everything together even when pressed and grilled and best of all, your gums are safe.

Ingredients for 12 panini:

2/3 cup (150 gr.) Biga
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 package (7 gr.) active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 ¾ cups cornmeal flour (fine ground)
2 tsp salt
Olive Oil

Preparation:

Sift together the flours. Add the salt and set aside.

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Stir in the yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.

Place the Biga in a mixing bowl. Add the water-yeast mixture and stir together. Stir in the flour mixture and knead for 5 minutes (10 minutes if done by hand).

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 2 hours.

Shaping:

Prepare two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the dough on a lightly floured, hard surface. Gently flatten the dough to about 1 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Flatten each ball with a quick press of the hand.

Place the flattened dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the dough from the center toward the edge to arrive at the desired size. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Baking:

Preheat the oven to 410 degrees. Do not steam the oven.

Remove the plastic wrap. With a knife cut intersecting, diagonal incisions in the top of the dough. Use a razor blade or very sharp knife. The incisions should be about ¼ inch deep.

Brush quickly with Olive Oil. Let sit for five minutes and place in the oven.

Bake for 28 minutes.

Remove from the pan and cool the individual Tartaruga on a rack.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Italian Bread Lazio Panini Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Torta Bertulina – Antique Grape Bread from Crema

Our friends at Mondo Sapore met with Italian Winemaker Gianpoalo Paglia from the Argentario region this week. Gianpoalo and his wife are here in the US to support their young winery. From his article,

"It's cooking. Wine and food. Food and wine."

This is the basic message of Travel Italy. Balance in all things and moderation to live a long and fruitful life. We can learn from the past, implementing the good things and foregoing the bad, to prepare for a brighter future.

Ever since I began working on the article of the Turta de Lac, Raffaella has been encouraging me to write about Crema’s antique Bread with Grapes celebrating the harvest of the vineyards. It looks like a cake but it is bread, as you will see from the recipe. In Roman times, the bread was a simple dough of flour, water, eggs, and olive oil. Cooked at very low temperature for a long time. The bread was ready when the grapes began to explode. Sugar was expensive and used sparingly, thus it was only sprinkled on top once the bread was out of the oven.


In the late 1800s the local bakery, Fornaio Zanetti, began using bread dough instead of the more liquid cake dough. The baker would place a layer of bread, fill the form with grapes, add sugar, and then close with another layer of bread. A few grapes placed strategically on top and more sugar the dough is then cooked as normal bread. A liquor syrup variation made the scene in the early 1900s, but is not widely used.

If you have a scale that measures in kg use the weights instead of US measures.

Ingredients for a 12 inch cake pan (I like a spring-form pan and a 10 inch pan can be used):

1 lbs 4 oz (600 grams) Grapes (preferably Concord Grapes)
2 ¼ cups (300 grams) all-purpose Flour
1 ½ cups (200 grams) Cornmeal Flour (fine ground – if you are unable to find Cornmeal flour you can substitute with all-purpose flour)
¼ cup warm milk
2 eggs
½ cups olive oil (softened butter can be substituted for the olive oil)
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
1 tsp. Salt
2 packages active dry yeast (do not use rapid acting)
Powdered Sugar

Preparation:

Sift the flours and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and salt.

Whisk together the sugar and eggs until creamy white. Stir in all of the liquids, including the oil or butter, into the dry ingredients. The mixture should be a very soft dough, not runny but very soft. Add small amounts of milk if necessary.

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.

Remove the stems from the grapes, wash and allow to dry.

Oil and flour the baking pan.

Add the grapes to the dough, without breaking the grapes. Pour into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the top with olive oil or butter and sprinkle sugar on top. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. The crust will be brown and the grapes will begin to explode.

Remove and cool on a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Cakes Available online

Tags: Gourmet Foods Italian Desserts Italian Holiday Bread Crema Grapes Bread Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Pane Casereccio – Italian Homemade Bread

Most likely you will not find this bread in any non-Italian baker’s books yet it is one of the most widely made breads in Italy. This is mamma’s bread, every Italian family will have the recipe, simply listed as Pane. Raffaella’s mother told me of how they would prepare the bread at home and then take it to the local baker to cook it. Each family in the town would cut the top of the bread with a symbol or some special design to tell the difference as the baker would fill the ovens and cook as much as possible.

After WWII more families had ovens in their houses and the trips to the baker stopped but the markings on the bread remained. This was the first bread I baked. The process hooked me on the therapeutic benefits of cooking. This bread can be made with a bread machine but that would eliminate all the fun. In Italy we have type 0 and type 00 flour and this bread would be made with type 0 but all-purpose, unbleached flour will work fine. The true bread lover may want to add two tablespoons of gluten.


Ingredients:

100 g Biga (if available)
5 cups (700 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
2 cups (420 ml) water
1 packet (7 g) active dry yeast
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp Olive Oil

Preparation:

On a flat hard surface sift the flour into a mound. Mix in the dry yeast and salt. Create a well in the center of the mound. If you are adding biga, place the biga in the well and slowly add the water.

Work the flour mixture and water together from the inside of the well to the outer edges. Knead the dough energetically for several minutes. Roll the dough into a ball. Grab the dough ball as if it were a bowling ball and through it down onto the surface several times. Continue working the dough and throwing onto the surface for 10 minutes. This is the therapeutic part of the preparation. Get rid of all your anxieties. You cannot hurt the dough. The more you work it, the better the bread.

Finally roll the dough into a ball. Spread the olive oil over the ball. Place the dough into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow 1 ½ hours for the first rise, the dough will double.

Prepare the baking pans, covering the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

Carefully place the dough onto the lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into 2 logs. Do not work the dough while shaping. Avoid pressing or tightly rolling. Place the shaped logs onto the baking pan. Oil the outside of the bread and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rest for 45 minutes.

About 15 minutes before the second rise is completed, turn the oven on to 450 degrees. When the oven is at temperature, spray or throw 1 cup of water onto the sides of the oven and close quickly. Wait another 5 minutes.

Carefully open the oven. Do not place your face near the opening as steam will gush out of the opening and may burn. Place the logs into the oven and close. During the first 10 minutes of baking spray the logs with water 3 times.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. The crust will be golden and seams will open up in the top of the bread.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Bread Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Pane Siciliano Mafalda – Sicilian Bread White Bread with Sesame

There are some things that leave an impression, that remind of a moment, a place or an experience. It can be a song, a smell, a sound, or an image. Sicily is a beautiful place, rich in culture and tradition. Scenic views of green valleys and mountain slopes covered with vineyards and olive groves. The Mediterranean Sea envelops the Island with blue and turquoise waters lapping soothingly along the beaches. A mild climate year round makes Sicily a fantastic vacation destination able to rejuvenate and replenish both body and soul.

Early in the morning, with cappuccino, bread, in the form of a snake on a stick, with sesame seeds covering the top arrives at the table. Golden in color and a soft crust, the aroma of fresh bread permeates the air. We tear the bread open to reveal the soft and cushiony interior. Slowly I spread the fresh fig jam and give a piece to Raffaella. The baked Sesame seeds covering the crust give just a hint of roasted peanuts. Every time I prepare Malfada, the Sicilian white bread, Raffaella asks me what I am thinking. Amazed that she recognizes that I am off in another land, I ask why.

“The smile on your face,” is her usual response.

Yes, I relive, with pleasure, the trips to Sicily, different scenes, but always with satisfaction and Mafalda triggers my voyage.

Mafalda is perfect for breakfast with jam, lunch with Mortadella or Salami, and dinner with cheese. Simple, home bread, prepared over the centuries by the Matriarch of the Sicilian household, Mafalda is Sicily, its sea breezes, mountains, valleys and wines.

Mafalda requires flour of durum wheat. If you are unable to procure durum wheat locally, purchase durum wheat pasta semolina. This is available in most supermarkets. Measure the desired weight and place in a food processor or blender. Grind until very fine.

Ingredients:

3 cups (400 gr.) durum wheat flour
¾ cup (110 gr.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups (310 dl.) warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 package (7 gr.) active dry yeast
1 tbs. Malt
1 ½ tsp. Salt
Olive oil to grease the bowl
Sesame seeds

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Stir in the dry yeast. Let the yeast stand for 10 minutes until creamy.

Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the yeast-water liquid. Knead energetically for about 10 minutes.

Grease a large bowl with the olive oil. Model the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Roll the ball around in the bowl so the entire surface of the bowl is covered with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let the dough rise for 1 hour

Place the dough on a lightly floured hard surface. Divide the dough into two parts. Roll the dough into long tubes.

Lay the roll out on the work area in a serpentine leaving enough space at the end of the roll to cross over the top of the serpentine for the entire length.

Brush the top of the form with water and cover the entire surface with sesame seeds. If you are able to without breaking the form, turn the forms upside down to allow the pressure of the dough to press the sesame seeds into the dough. Leave upside down for 5 minutes, turn over onto a baking pan covered with parchment paper and let rise, covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel for another 90 minutes.

Baking:

Preheat the oven to 410 degrees. Spray the sides of the oven with water from a spray bottle. Be careful, steam will be immediately created and can burn you. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 375 and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove the baking pan and allow the bread to cook another 15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Bread Sicily Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Provincial Italian Beer Bread – Italy is more than wine

Thoughts of Italy invoke images of dark completions, sultry women, Italian accents and wine. Italy is so much more. The strategic geographical position of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea has made it a prime objective for any ruler wishing to conquer the world and over the eons of time Italy’s regions have been conquered by numerous cultures. The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Turks, the Spanish, the French, the Germans and finally the Americans have all spent time on the Italian peninsula and left their mark.

Sicilians with blond hair and blue eyes, Pugliesi delicacies that seem Greek, Kebabs as part of local cuisine, and Beer are, among many other characteristics, signs of the presence of other cultures. There is an Italian region where German is the primary language, where hotels and restaurants speak Italian with difficulty and a very heavy German accent, and where the primary beverage is Beer! Alto Adige is located on the Austrian border. Bavarian food is prevalent and the beer is fantastic.


I would often drive to Munich for business. From the Val Cavallina (BG) I would simply take the provincial road through the Alps to Bolzano and then the expressway through Austria and into Germany. This meant a stop in Bolzano for “Wurstel e Krauti” and maybe a Weiss Bir. That is where I first tasted this Pane alla Birra. The locals indicate that it is part of their culture from the times of Bavaria. This bread is savory with a distinct flavor of Malt. It is a perfect compliment for wild game, flavorful meats and sauces, and just as a quick snack in the afternoon.

Ingredients:

3 cups (350 gr.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (150 gr.) rye flour
1 cup (100 gr.) whole wheat flour
1 package (7 gr.) active dry yeast
12 oz. (340 ml.) Malt beer at room temperature
1 tbs. malt
1 tbs. honey
30 gr. shortening [rendered lard] (I use 2 tbs. Olive Oil)
2 tsp. salt

beer and sesame seeds

Preparation:

The best way to prepare this bread is by hand. It is not difficult and the results will be much better than those when using a mixer.

Dissolve the yeast in the beer. To allow the yeast to activate, let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Sift the flours together into a mound on a hard, clean work surface. Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the beer, honey, malt, salt and shortening (or olive oil). Work the liquid into the flour from the inside out. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft and pliable but not wet. If the dough is wet, work in additional flour.

Roll into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. The dough will require 8 hours to double in size. Give the dough sufficient time to rest.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Push the air out of the dough by flattening the dough with your hands. Work into a ball again. Place the dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Press the dough ball down, reducing the height by one half. Cover with a moist towel. Let the dough rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When at temperature, Spray the sides of the oven with water from a spray bottle.

Brush the dough with beer. You may also add sesame seeds or other seeds for decoration.

Turn the heat down to 425 degrees and bake the bread for 35-40 minutes. The crust will be golden brown. If you are not sure of the color let the bread, cook for another 5 minutes.

Cool on a rack.

Special thanks go to Francesca at Fior di Zucca for the photographs of the bread. Francesca writes a wonderful blog in Italian with some great recipes and insights.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Bread Alto Adige Beer Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Italian Aromatic Herb Bread

Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Thyme. Aromas fill the summer with flavor and zest. Just the mention of these herbs invokes thoughts of savory roasts and fun filled evenings cooking delicious meats and fish on the grill. To compliment these great sensations what could be better than bread that brings these flavors together to balance a roasted chicken?

It is not clear where Pane alle Erbe, or Herb Bread, has its origins but it is widely used in Liguria, Tuscany and the Marche. It is a great favorite at dinner parties and very easy to prepare. Herb bread can be prepared well in advance and will be the perfect carbohydrate addition to any savory entrée. Sliced and grilled it is a perfect addition to before dinner Pinot Grigio to get the appetite going. Herb bread is a necessary element for any true Italian cook. Amaze and stupefy your guests, try this bread!

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast (7 gr.)
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (200 gr.) Biga (you can substitute 7 gr. of yeast for biga)
3 ¾ cups (500 gr.) all-purpose unbleached flour
2 ½ teaspoons (10 gr.) salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon Rosemary (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon Thyme (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh Basil (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon Oregano (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Preparation

Stir the sugar in the warm water. Dissolve the yeast in the water and let sit for 10 minutes until creamy. Place the biga in a large bowl. With a spoon, stir the yeast mixture.

In a small bowl quickly beat the egg with a fork. Stir in the chopped herbs.
Mix the all-purpose flour and the salt. Pour the flour mix into the bowl with the biga and mix for about 1 minute, just enough to get the flour and liquid together. Add the egg and herb mixture and the Olive Oil. Mix for about 3 minutes.

Kneading:

Knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes.

First Rise:

Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Allow to rise about 2 hours, until doubled.

Shaping and Second Rise:

Place on a lightly floured surface. Divide into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Let the dough balls sit, covered with a moist towel, for 5 minutes.

Roll each ball into a log about 18 inches long.

Place the three logs next to each other about 1 inch apart. Take move the first log over the top of the middle log. Take the third log and move over what is now the center position. Continue working the logs into a rope the entire length. Push the two extremities under the end of the rope closing the knots at each end

Cover with a heavy slightly humid towel and let rise for at least 1 hour, until doubled.

Baking:

At least 30 minutes before baking, turn the oven on to 450 degrees. Five minutes before baking dust the top of the dough with flour and delicately dimple, with your fingers, the top of the dough. The dimples will disappear when baking but will allow the dough to rise evenly. Place in the oven. After 10 minutes reduce the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. If using a baking pan, remove the bread from the pan and place the bread directly on the oven rack. Continue for another 15-20 minutes.

Cool on a rack.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Bread Tuscany Summer Recipes Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Pane Pugliese – Loaf Bread from Puglia

This is a big, crusty, country bread. Originally made with coarse flours and cooked in hot wood-burning ovens, Pane Pugliese is chewy and porous, a perfect compliment for a lunch or dinner with cheese, dried meats or foods with sauces. The loaves are large 2-4 pounds each and are cut into large pieces.

Many Pugliese regional foods dip the bread into flavored oils or as the carbohydrate base for soups, gravies, or savory sauces. The thick crust results in a flavorful and filling bread. One of my favorite traditions is dipping it directly in a fruity new wine from Puglia.

There are several versions used today but the original, said to have origins in the Turkish Empire, uses a mix of unrefined flours. When working this bread it will seem a bit soft and wet, do not worry this is how it should be.

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast (7 gr.)
¼ cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups water at room temperature
1 cup (200 gr.) Biga
4 ½ cups (600 gr.) all-purpose unbleached flour
3 cups (375 gr.) wheat flour
5 teaspoons (20 gr.) salt

Preparation

Stir the sugar in the warm water. Dissolve the yeast in the water and let sit for 10 minutes until creamy. Place the biga in a large bowl. With a spoon, stir the yeast mixture. Stir in the water (room temperature).

The traditional method:

Pour the flour mixture onto a flat hard surface. Shape into a mound and create a well in the middle with a spoon. Pour half the biga mixture into the well. With a pastry spatula begin moving flour from the walls of the well into the biga-water. Add the remaining biga-water and fold the remaining flour. The dough will be very soft and “runny”. This will take about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but just firm enough to maintain its form.

The quick way:

Mix the all-purpose and wheat flour and the salt. Pour the flour mix into the bowl with the biga and mix for about 3 minutes until the dough separates from the sides of the bowl.

Kneading:

Knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and velvety.

First Rise:

Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Allow to rise about 3 hours, until tripled.

Shaping and Second Rise:

Place on a lightly floured surface. Flatten the dough delicately with your hands and roll from the back to the front. Press down again. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll again from back to front. To create a round ball, cup your hands and slide them, pulling the bottom portion of the dough, under the dough ball. Turn 45 degrees and repeat. Continue until a perfectly round ball has formed.

If you are using a baking stone place a bit of corn meal flour on the stone, if using a baking sheet, place parchment paper and flour the surface. Position the dough ball in the center. Make sure you have sufficient room on the side as this bread will expand laterally.

Cover with a heavy slightly humid towel and let rise for at least 1 hour, until doubled.

Baking:

At least 30 minutes before baking, turn the oven on to 450 degrees. Five minutes before baking dust the top of the dough with flour and delicately dimple, with your fingers, the top of the dough. The dimples will disappear when baking but will allow the dough to rise evenly. Place in the oven. After 10 minutes reduce the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. If using a baking pan, remove the bread from the pan and place the bread directly on the oven rack. Continue for another 15-20 minutes.

Cool on a rack.

Tags: Pane Pugliese Bread Italian Bread Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Pane Mediterraneo – Italian Provincial Bread with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes

Summer is a time to replenish the body and soul, trips to the beach, dinners in the evening’s cool air, vacations and fresh fruits and vegetables. Traditional recipes are based on what is available during the various seasons and summer means great colors and varieties. One of these summertime delights is Pane Mediterraneo. This bread is difficult to find even in Italy, and is part of seasonal breads in Northern Italy from Brescia to Torino. The shape is also slightly different from East to West. In Lombardia it is shaped like a Ciabatta while in Piemonte it is a big Grissino. Either way it is fun, colorful and savory.

An easy bread to prepare the color will be a fantastic addition for your summertime dinner with friends if you can keep them from eating it before dinner. It is amusing to see normally restrained people watching the bread, smelling it, moving closer and the walking away. Then someone loses the battle, reaches over and takes one. Within a few minutes the entire basket is empty and the tension gone. I learned very quickly and since my first experience of this type I prepare a double batch and place half of the bread on the counter where we enjoy our before dinner wine and the other half hidden away in the pantry.

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups (500 g.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (225 ml) milk
1 cup (250gr.) Biga *
1 package (7 gr.) Active dry yeast
1 tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbl olive oil

*note: if you do not have Biga you can substitute with one package (7 gr.) active dry yeast.

1 cup pitted olives
20 cherry tomatoes halved
olive oil

Preparation:

Warm the milk and stir in the sugar. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let stand for 10 minutes until creamy.

Place the Biga in a mixing bowl. Pour the milk-yeast mixture into the bowl and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix together until the dough separates from the side of the bowl. Add sparingly flour if the dough is too moist.

Knead by hand for about 10 minutes and roll into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let sit for 1 hour.

Shaping:

Cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece back and forth until the piece is about 10 inches long and place on a baking sheet or stone. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for another hour.

Press the olives and the cherry tomatoes into the top of the dough. Move each olive or tomato back and forth while pressing to allow the dough to move over the about ½ of each piece. Drizzle olive oil over the top of each roll making a small pool around each tomato or olive.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When at temperature spray the sides of the oven with water, using a spray bottle and place the bread in the oven. During the first 10 minutes of baking spray both the oven and the bread another 3 times. Bake for 23-25 minutes. The bread with take on a golden color.

Tags: Pane Mediterraneo Bread Grissini Italian Bread Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Italian poor man’s bread - Il Filone and the forbidden Scarpetta

It is customary to place bread directly on the tablecloth at the dinner table. Several micchette, rosette and a long loaf of bread, the filone, strategically placed across between the plates. As the hostess serves the individual servings each individual will choose the bread he wishes. Bread, a primary stable, is often purchased twice a day, fresh and hot from the bakery and never cut into pieces.

The filone, known as the poor man’s bread, is a long tube of bread, shorter than a baguette, but very similar in both texture and utilization. It is the everyday bread, probably one of the first breads as evidenced by the development of the grissino. It is flavorful and soft with a thin and savory crust. The filone is the perfect bread for the scarpetta. Scarpetta, highly frowned upon in formal dining, is sopping up the remaining sauce with a piece of bread. Should the temptation be to great, the sauce is so inviting, break a piece of bread and use the fork to execute the Scarpetta. Often, if I were dining late in the evening after others had retired for the night, I would warm some left over sauce and break off a piece of the filone, spreading the sauce or dipping the bread, I would be in hog’s heaven.

Simple to make, it is a great solution in any occasion. Patience and forethought is the key.

Ingredients for 3 filoni:

1 ½ cup (150 gr.) Biga
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ¼ cup water – room temperature
1 package (7 gr.) active dry yeast
3 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon gluten (if available mix with flour)
2 teaspoons salt
Preparation:

Dissolve the sugar in the water and then stir in the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes until creamy.

Place the Biga in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture to the Biga and stir together for about 3 minutes.

Add the flour-gluten-salt and stir together. Knead on a floured surface until the dough is firm and not sticky.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Shaping and second rise:

Place dough on a floured surface and cut into three pieces. Flatten the dough and then roll, from back to front, the dough into a log. Tuck the ends of the dough and place on a kitchen towel to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for one hour.

Baking:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Once at temperature reduce to 450. Carefully place the logs onto the baking sheet. Cut long diagonal incisions along the top about ¼ inch deep. Spray the sides of the oven with water. Be careful, steam will exit the oven and it is very hot. Finally place the logs in the oven and spray the dough with water. During the first 10 minutes spray the dough 3 more times.

Bake for 25-27 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Tags: Filone Bread Italian Bread Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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