Casatiello Napoletano Easter Bread From Naples Food

CASATIELLO NAPOLETANO (EASTER BREAD FROM NAPLES)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
• Sift flour and salt onto a clean work surface; make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture and 1/4 cup lard to the well. Mix, adding remaining 1 cup water gradually, until dough comes together. Knead until dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with a clean, damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 90 minutes.
• Place dough back on the work surface. Punch gently to deflate; roll into a big rectangle. Brush 1/4 cup lard on top; cover with Parmesan cheese and pepper. Fold dough in half to make a smaller rectangle. Brush 1/4 cup lard on top; cover with pecorino Romano cheese and pepper.
• Fold dough again into a smaller rectangle. Brush remaining 1/4 cup lard on top; cover with salami chunks. Cut off a small portion of the dough; reserve.
• Roll dough into a long cylinder. Place cylinder a grease ring cake mold. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until more than doubled in volume, about 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Tuck whole eggs into the ring of dough at even intervals. Divide reserved dough into 12 pieces; roll into small ropes. Lay 2 ropes in a cross shape over each egg to hold them in place.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 1 hour. Let cool before slicing.

CASATIELLO

Steps:

• To make the sponge, stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar into the water in a mixing bowl and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the egg yolks and remaining sugar and stir until smooth. Stir in half the flour and beat until smooth. Add the remaining flour and the salt and stir until a soft dough is formed. Knead gently on a floured surface for 3 to 4 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
• To make the dough, beat the eggs, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of flour and stir until smooth. Cut the sponge into small pieces and add them to the dough mixture. Beat together, then add the remaining flour and mix with your hands to a shaggy mass. Mix in the butter. Sprinkle the dough with the grated cheeses and knead them in with your hands. Continue kneading on a lightly floured surface until the dough is elastic, supple and fairly smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until almost tripled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and pat and roll into a large rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle half the provolone, half the salami and half the pepper over the surface. Fold into thirds, like a business letter; then roll the dough out again 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with the remaining provolone, salami and pepper and fold again into thirds. Gently knead for 2 to 3 minutes to distribute the cheese and salami evenly. Cut the dough in half and knead each half gently into a round ball. Place each ball in a buttered 2-quart charlotte mold or souffle dish. The dough should fill about half the mold. Cover with a towel and let rise to the tops of the molds, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the top of each loaf with the lightly beaten egg white. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the tops are very brown and shiny. Remove from the molds and cool on racks.

ITALIAN CASATIELLO NAPOLETANO - SAVORY STUFFED EASTER BREAD - AN ITALIAN IN MY KITCHEN

Steps:

• In the stand up mixer add the water and sprinkle the yeast on top, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then stir, add the flour and start to knead, add the lard a little at a time and continue to knead add the salt and pepper with the last addition of lard.
• Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, it should be smooth and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, place in a clean bowl, cover it and let it rise in a warm draft free area for 2-3 hours or until it triples in volume.
• Move the dough to a flat surface and pat into small rectangle, fold the top of dough to the middle the the bottom up and over the middle like an envelope. Remove a small amount of dough to be used as the strips to cover the eggs, you need to roll out 6-8 strips. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.While the dough is resting cut up the pancetta, salami and cheese into cubes
• Roll the dough into a rectangle 1/4 inch (1 cm) thick about 16x10 inches (40x27 cm) in size, sprinkle with 1/2 the grated pecorino or parmesan, then top with the cubed salami, pancetta and cheese, sprinkle again with the remaining pecorino.
• Roll the dough lengthwise, but not too tightly, form into a circle and place it in a greased 10 inch tube or bundt pan. Place 3-4 eggs on the dough spread apart and keep them in place with strips of rolled out dough, wet the ends of the dough with a little water to help it stick.
• Cover the pan and let it rise in a warm draft free area for approximately 2 hours.
• Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C).
• Brush the risen dough with the egg wash and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden. If the bread is browning too much cover with foil and continue baking. Cool on a wire rack. Eat warm or room temperature. Enjoy!
• HowToSection EGG WASH Array