Grandmas recipe help

[mnkyspnk]

I have been trying for years to find the name and possibly a recipe for a type of bread my grandmother use to make. From what I remember it was a Italian bread with whole hard boiled eggs inside along with different cheeses, and meats, I know ham was one of the meats. It also was a little spicy and weighed like 10lbs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[lvdkeyes]

There is an Italian Easter bread that has a colored Easter egg in the center, but it is a sweet bread. Perhaps your Granny did her own take on it.

[Kitchen Witch]

1 large loaf or 2 small loaves

This recipe has been handed down (modifed for home use from the original restaurant/bakery recipe by my great Uncle Nunz!)

An Italian brioche with loads of meat and cheese - very popular and VERY good!! I would make this for the restaurant and it wouldn't last long after it was removed from the oven.

Start by making the sponge:

SPONGE:

2.25 oz bread flour
1 tbsp yeast
1 c milk (whole or buttermilk) - warm

Combine yeast and flour; whisk in warm milk (the batter is close to a pancake batter); cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about an hour (for fermentation).


Meanwhile, make your dough:
4 oz salami (of choice - I always used a good Italian salami right from Italy for this! - or a good Soppresata from Italy!)
1 lb bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
6 oz unsalted butter at room temp
6 oz Provolone cheese, coarsely shredded or grated (I have combine Provolone with Fontinella and Asagio or Fontina)

Ths salami or soppressata is to be diced into small cubes; sauteed lightly in frying pan just to crisp it slightly.

In bowl, whisk flour, salt and sugar; add eggs and sponge forming a coarse ball. Use a few drops of water or milk to collect any loose flour and gather into dough; mix. Let dough rest 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut butter into 4 pieces, working into dough one at a time; as you mix the dough it will go from sticky to tacky and will come off the sides of the bowl; if not - sprinkle a bit more flour and make it!

Once the dough is smooth, add COOLED salami/soppressata and mix into the dough until evenly distributed thoroughout. Gently add shredded cheese to evenly distribute throughout.

Lightly oil a large bowl; transfer dough and "roll to coat" with oil. cover with plastic wrap and let sit abot 90 minutes, or until the dough is 1 1/2 times it's original size.

The dough can be used as is making one loaf or divided into 2 loaves. Lightly oil pan(s) and lightly oil the top of the dough (a mister is good for this.) Cover and allow to rise until the dough reaches the tops of the pans (the pans need to have sides on them for this recipe!)

Bake in preheated 350* F. oven 40 to 50 minutes or until the center of the loaves read 185 -190* F. on cooking thermometer; tops and sides golden brown with cheese oozing out showing crisp brown markings.

Remove from pans immediately and let loaves sit for at least 1 hour before slicing.

For variation - I have made this "pizza" style with pepperoni and mozzarella - and for those of you that know me - dunked in fresh homemade pasta sauce - I'm a happy camper! A meal to me!!

MANGIA!!

Of course you can add what you want to the recipe - each family makes it their own way - this is one version we make.

[lvdkeyes]

I should have known that KW would have a recipe for this. It sounds good.

[Kitchen Witch]

LOL - this is something that was "norm" in our family - we never thought of it as being anything special - dang filling - dang good! And you can adjust the recipe and play around to your liking.

[Luvtokuk]

Originally Posted by Kitchen Witch

LOL - this is something that was "norm" in our family - we never thought of it as being anything special - dang filling - dang good! And you can adjust the recipe and play around to your liking.

It's called Casatiello in Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice".
Your ingredients even match his, item for item.

[Kitchen Witch]

Never read the book but I'm very interested in where he got the recipe! Thanks for telling me - going to find that book somewhere -

[lvdkeyes]

I see the book is available on Amazon.com

[Kitchen Witch]

I have to buy it from a store - I don't buy on line - learned my lesson the hard way. I still have the original given to me that is sloppy and hand-written. I come from a HUGE family and 85% were in the restaurant business - owners, chefs, etc. for generations. So I'm quite curious.

[Luvtokuk]

Originally Posted by Kitchen Witch

I have to buy it from a store - I don't buy on line

Borders or Barnes and Noble have it on the shelf nation wide @ $35.00