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Makes
one loaf (but can easily be doubled)
Author Notes
There is a bakery in our area called the Pennsylvania Bakery. The are well known in this area for their spaghetti bread. It's a secret recipe they have and people go to that bakery specifically for that bread. For years I've wanted to take a shot recreating it here at home. I thought I'd play with that idea and involve a little of my homemade salami.
The Pennsylvania Bakery's spaghetti bread tastes like an onion bread and it has cream cheese folded into it. I don't know why that makes it a "spaghetti" bread. I'm also not sure that matters. I decided to flavor my bread with shallots, oregano, cream cheese and salami.
This recipe was adapted from Peg's recipe for White Amish Bread which can be found on allrecipes.com
—Dabblings
Ingredients
-
1 cup
of warm water (about 115°)
-
2 1/2 tablespoons
of sugar
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3/4 tablespoon
of yeast (Or 1 packet)
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1
large shallot; minced
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3 tablespoons
of olive oil; divided (Plus enough to grease a bowl. Maybe a teaspoonful more)
-
3/4 teaspoon
of salt
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2-3 cups
of bread flour (As needed)
-
1 tablespoon
of fresh oregano; finely chopped
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3 tablespoons
of cream cheese; softened
-
3 ounces
of salami; diced small
Directions
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In a medium bowl combine the water the sugar and the yeast. Stir until dissolved. Let the yeast proof in the water for 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
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While the yeast is proofing saute the shallot in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until it is soft and translucent. Set aside.
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Once the yeast has proofed add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the sauteed shallot, and the salt. Then start adding the flour one cupful at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon after each addition. When the dough is clumping together and it has become really hard to stir it in the bowl dust a surface with some more flour and dump the dough out of the bowl. (I soak the bowl with some warm water at this point to re-use it for letting the dough rise. I just hate lots of dishes.) At this point I have usually used close to 2 cups of the flour but the humidity levels in the air are what really end up determining how much flour you use. Once The dough is on the floured surface knead it for 8 minutes until it feels homogeneous and springs back when you poke it lightly with your finger. Add in extra flour if the dough gets sticky when you are kneading it.
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Once the dough is done kneading set it aside. Rinse and dry the bowl you used for mixing. Then put a small glug (about a teaspoonful) of olive oil in the bowl and spread it all over the bowl using a paper towel. Put the dough into the bowl turning it around to coat the dough completely with a little of the olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel or some plastic wrap and set it in a warm, draft free place to rise for 1 hour. During the summer I just leave my bowel on the counter but in the winter I put it in the oven with the light on.
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While the dough is rising combine the oregano and the salami in a bowl and let the cream cheese come to room temperature. Grease an 8" x4" x 2" loaf pan. I use a Pam spray for this. Even though I don't like the aerosols in them I find the the bread never sticks to the pan when I use it. You can do what you want.
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In an hour the dough will have doubled in size. If it needs a little more time to double then check it in another 15 minutes. If it has doubled then punch it down with your fist and knead it on a clean surface for a minute to get out any large air bubbles.
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Roll the dough out into a large rectangle (about 10"-12"x 18"). Spread the softened cream cheese over the dough leaving an inch space around the perimeter of the dough. Then sprinkle the cream cheese with the salami, oregano mixture.
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Roll the dough up lengthwise and then fold the sides under. Put it in the greased pan. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and set it on top of the oven. Allow the dough to have a second rise for 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 350°.
When the second rise is over put the dough into the oven and bake it for 30 minutes. The bread is done when it's golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it. Let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn the bread out onto a rack to cool completely. Wait at least 30 minutes before eating it.
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