L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano tives to prevent clumping that might affect rising or oven spring. Ingredients • 250 g (1/2 lb) all-pur- pose flour (protein content 11 1/2- 12%), divided • 100 g (3 1/2 oz) grated cheese (1/2 parmigiano, 1/2 aged pecorino) • 60 g (2 oz) young peco- rino cut into small dice • 3 eggs • 30 g (1 oz) softened but- ter or lard • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 125 ml milk (1/2 cup), divided • 1 teaspoon salt • 3 g ( 3 / 4 t e a s p o o n ) active dry yeast, divided For this recipe I use a 1.2 liter (4 cups) loaf pan or an 18 cm (7 inches) diameter round cake pan that must be at least 12 cm (5 inches) tall. If you have a choice, p l e a s e u s e d e e p n a r r o w pans in preference to wide shallow ones. Enriched breads require more steps in preparation, as fats or sugar might pre- vent fermentation if added too early in the process. Preparation Day 1. Evening M a k e a b r e a d d o u g h starter using half of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of yeast and 1/2 to 2/3 of the milk. Different flours will absorb different amounts of liquid. The starter should make a firm and smooth ball, so adjust with more or less milk (by the tablespoon) and knead until you reach the desired consistency. Please note that you will b e a d d i n g 3 e g g s i n t h e next step, so the starter needs to be firm (but not d r y ) t o p r e v e n t a r u n n y final dough. Coat the dough in 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in a draft-free area overnight. Day 2. Morning B r i n g a l l r e m a i n i n g ingredients to room tem- perature. Crack open the eggs in a bowl, add the rest of the flour, olive oil, salt, g r a t e d c h e e s e , s o f t e n e d butter and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast. Stir well each time you add an ingredient, then add the starter. Keep mix- ing until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporat- ed. T h e d o u g h s h o u l d b e well-hydrated, so a stand mixer definitely helps as this is quite a sticky dough. If it looks dry, add some milk, a tablespoon at the time. Finally, add the diced cheese and stir to distribute i t t h r o u g h t h e m i x t u r e . Transfer into a well-but- tered mold, taking care not to fill it more than half-way. You can also line the mold with parchment paper. C o v e r a n d p l a c e i n a d r a f t - f r e e e n v i r o n m e n t until the dough fills the mold, 2-4 hours. Poke test To assess if the bread is r e a d y t o b a k e , p r e s s a n oiled finger into the dough. If it's elastic and the mark of your finger disappears, it h a s n ' t f e r m e n t e d l o n g e n o u g h . I f y o u r f i n g e r leaves an indent that stays unchanged, the bread is over-proofed. Ideally, the mark of your finger should not remain in the dough, but spring back partially and leave a shallow indent. I n w i n t e r , y o u m i g h t p l a c e t h e d o u g h i n a switched off oven with the light on to keep it warm and encourage fermenta- tion. Pre-heating, steaming and baking P r e - h e a t t h e o v e n a t 200°C (390°F). Once it has reached the temperature, place a pan full of boiling water in the bottom of the oven. Place the mold with the dough inside the oven, and using a spray bottle, quickly spray towards the left and right sides of the oven. Close the oven door to trap the steam inside and b a k e f o r 1 5 m i n u t e s . Remove the pan with water and continue baking for about 45 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the internal temperature measures 98-99°C (209- 210°F). O n c e c o o k e d , l e t t h e torta rest a little and wait until it has retreated from t h e e d g e s o f t h e m o l d before place on a cooling rack. S l i c e o n l y w h e n c o m - pletely at room tempera- ture. It will taste best after a few hours and pairs beauti- f u l l y w i t h r e d w i n e a n d salami, but also with soups a n d g r e e n s a l a d s o r steamed greens. Letizia Mattiacci is a c o o k b o o k a u t h o r a n d owner of Alla Madonna del Piatto Cooking School and A g r i t u r i s m o i n A s s i s i , Umbria, https://incam- pagna.com. This recipe has been previously published in Mrs. Mattiacci cookbook entitled "Festa Italiana." "Torta di Pasqua, a leavened cheese bread shaped like a squat panettone and traditionally served for Easter breakfast" Continued from page 28 Torta di Pasqua is usually served for breakfast on easter morning (Photo: Letizia Mattiacci) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES

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