Make Ahead

Tuscan Potted Bread

October 20, 2009
5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 12
Author Notes

This bread is made with a rich bread dough and is filled with rosemary, bresaola and scamorza, a dry mozzarella. I cook them in very small terracotta pots and serve them individually. Sometimes, when we have a table full of guests, I use them as place markers putting the name of the person stuck to a toothpick inserted on the bread. You can also make this recipe in a loaf pan and cut it in slices. Great for a picnic or light dinner with a salad. can be made a day ahead letting the dough rise in the fridge. Take the dough out at least 2 hours before cooking. —Maria Teresa Jorge

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Ingredients
  • Rich bread dough
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons fresh bread yeast
  • 1 1/2 plus 2 tablespoons of milk
  • 4 tablespoons Lard or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 pinch salt
  • black and white pepper freshly grated
  • Filling
  • 12 slices of Bresaola cut in very small pieces
  • 6 slices of Scamorza cut in very small cubes
  • 2 slice of pancetta cut in very small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary chopped
  • freshly grated black and white pepper
  • 1/4 cup Scamorza shredded thickly for topping
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese for topping
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary for topping
Directions
  1. Warm the milk to no more then 97º F. Take the cheese, bresaola, pancetta and Scamorza out of the fridge, they need to be at room temperature.
  2. Crumble the fresh yeast in a bowl and dilute with a bit of milk. When well diluted add the remaining milk.
  3. Sift the flour into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attatchment. Make a well in the center and pour the yeast and milk, the eggs and the lard or olive oil. Start mixing on low speed until all the ingredients are mixed. Add the salt and beat on medium speed until dough starts to unattach from sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes. The dough is very moist and sticky and will remain like that. Change the paddle attachment to the bread hook attachment and knead for a further 10 minutes. At this point the dough should be all together in a ball around the hook attachment and not stick at all to the sides.
  4. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough so when it rises it doesn't stick to the tea towel. Cover with a clean tea towel and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Don't put the bowl on a cold surface like marble or granite as this will prevent the dough from rising neither on top of a hot surface. The dough should rise slowly and not be forced to rise. If you need put a tea towel underneath the bowl so that the base is warm.
  5. Chop the rosemary medium size. Cut the bresaola, the pancetta and scamorza as small as you can and set aside.
  6. Prepare 12 small terracotta pots and line with parchment paper leaving the paper 1/2 inch above the border of the pots.
  7. When the dough has doubled in size, push down the dough gently to deflate. Add the rosemary, the filling, some freshly grated black and white pepper and mix well with your hands to incorporate and distribute the ingredients very well into the dough.
  8. Divide the dough in 12 equal portions, put in the pots and cover them with a clean tea towel to rise for 2 hours in a warm place, draft free. Make sure the bottom of the pots are not on marble or stone otherwise the dough won't rise.
  9. Pre-heat the oven to 300ºF with rack in the middle.
  10. Grate the Scamorza thickly. When the dough in the pots has doubled in size, sprinkle with the Scamorza, the grated Parmesan and some rosemary. Put the pots on a baking sheet to be easier to put them in and take them out of the oven.
  11. Cook the bread in the pots for about 30 minutes or until golden on top.
  12. Serve warm in the pot.

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3 Reviews

lastnightsdinner October 21, 2009
These sound amazing! I used to make a similar "flower pot" bread with cheddar and herbs - I love the flavors you've incorporated here.
Kelsey B. October 21, 2009
These are so cute - they would make great christmas gifts!! I love your recipes, they are always look so delicious.
Kelsey B. October 21, 2009
These are so cute - they would make great christmas gifts!! I love your recipes, they are always look so delicious.