This particular yellow-crumbed loaf of bread was a semolina bread recipe that I decided to enhance with some other items I found in the kitchen. I put backyard herbs, cheddar, asiago cheese, and chorizo inside. You can use whatever you want, but nothing too wet! With the cheese and the semolina, the loaf is characteristically golden.
Yield: 1 medium-large loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup semolina (not semolina flour)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tsp instant yeast
1 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 Tsp salt
1 cup diced hard cheese (pecorino, locatelli, piave, parmesan, stravecchio, etc)
1/2 cup diced sharper cheese (Provolone, cheddar, asiago, etc)
Chorizo/meat cubes, to taste
Directions:
1) Combine all ingredients--EXCEPT the three cheeses and salt--into a bowl, and mix on medium speed of an electric mixer to make smooth dough. Add the salt as soon as the dough begins to clump and form ropes. Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or knead vigorously by hand on a floured surface.
2) Transfer dough to a floured surface and add the cheese cubes (and meat, if applicable) to the dough by kneading, until everything is incorporated.
3) Put the soft, cheese-filled dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about 2 hours (it will become quite puffy).
4) Transfer the dough to a counter top that has been sprinkled with semolina (if you wish to bake them on a stone/brick in your oven). OR transfer the dough to a baking sheet that has been moderately sprinkled with semolina. The semolina will keep your dough from sticking to the pizza peel or baking sheet when baked, so don't be too skimpy.
5) Gently deflate the dough. You can divide the dough as you wish. For two loaves, divide the dough in half, and place both halves on the semolina-lined baking sheet or counter top.
6) Tent the dough with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour--it will puff some more. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
7) Take the plastic off the bread. Spray the dough with water, and use a sharp knife to make three diagonal slashes (1-2cm deep) in each loaf. Use a pizza peel to load your counter-top loaves into the oven. If you used the baking sheet, put those right into the oven.
8) Bake the bread for 30 minutes (keep your eye on the bread, every oven is different) until golden brown. When you tap on the bottom of the loaves, they should sound hollow.
9) Remove the bread from the oven, and carefully (don't get burnt!) transfer to a rack to cool.
NOTE: Due to lack of preservatives in the dough, the breads taste the best within the first few hours of baking. I would recommend freezing them if you plan to eat them more than one day after baking, as they will rapidly become stale.
Ingredients:
1 cup semolina (not semolina flour)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tsp instant yeast
1 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 Tsp salt
1 cup diced hard cheese (pecorino, locatelli, piave, parmesan, stravecchio, etc)
1/2 cup diced sharper cheese (Provolone, cheddar, asiago, etc)
Chorizo/meat cubes, to taste
Directions:
1) Combine all ingredients--EXCEPT the three cheeses and salt--into a bowl, and mix on medium speed of an electric mixer to make smooth dough. Add the salt as soon as the dough begins to clump and form ropes. Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or knead vigorously by hand on a floured surface.
2) Transfer dough to a floured surface and add the cheese cubes (and meat, if applicable) to the dough by kneading, until everything is incorporated.
3) Put the soft, cheese-filled dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about 2 hours (it will become quite puffy).
4) Transfer the dough to a counter top that has been sprinkled with semolina (if you wish to bake them on a stone/brick in your oven). OR transfer the dough to a baking sheet that has been moderately sprinkled with semolina. The semolina will keep your dough from sticking to the pizza peel or baking sheet when baked, so don't be too skimpy.
5) Gently deflate the dough. You can divide the dough as you wish. For two loaves, divide the dough in half, and place both halves on the semolina-lined baking sheet or counter top.
6) Tent the dough with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour--it will puff some more. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
7) Take the plastic off the bread. Spray the dough with water, and use a sharp knife to make three diagonal slashes (1-2cm deep) in each loaf. Use a pizza peel to load your counter-top loaves into the oven. If you used the baking sheet, put those right into the oven.
8) Bake the bread for 30 minutes (keep your eye on the bread, every oven is different) until golden brown. When you tap on the bottom of the loaves, they should sound hollow.
9) Remove the bread from the oven, and carefully (don't get burnt!) transfer to a rack to cool.
NOTE: Due to lack of preservatives in the dough, the breads taste the best within the first few hours of baking. I would recommend freezing them if you plan to eat them more than one day after baking, as they will rapidly become stale.
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