Olive Oil Bread Pane Al Olio Food

OLIVE OIL BREAD (PANE AL 'OLIO)

Steps:

• Stir the yeast into the water in a large mixing bowl, let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the oil and lard, then the flour and salt until well blended. Knead on a floured surface until elastic and velvety, eight to 10 minutes. The dough can also be mixed and kneaded in an electric mixer or a food processor. If you use a food processor, first dissolve the yeast in one-fourth cup of warm water in a small bowl, add all the dry ingredients to the food processor bowl, then add the liquids, including the dissolved yeast, through the feed tube with the machine running.
• Place kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about two hours. Dough should be very moist and velvety.
• Divide the dough into 12 to 14 equal pieces, each about the size of a lime, and shape into small balls. Arrange the balls about one-and-a-half inches apart, not touching, in two free-form circles on oiled, parchment-lined baking sheets, or place in oiled ring molds that have been sprinkled with sea salt. Cover with plastic wrap and then a towel and let rise until doubled, one-and-a-fourth to one-and-a-half hours.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. If you have made free-form rings, brush the tops of the rolls in olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
• Bake 35 minutes, cool on racks. Makes two rings.

GARLIC BREAD (PANE STROFINATO ALL'AGLIO)

Steps:

• Combine olive oil and garlic and steep about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degreed F.
• Split loaf of bread lengthwise, then in half to form 4 sections.
• Set bread, cut side up, on baking sheet and spread with garlic infused oil. Rub cloves directly on bread and leave pieces on the bread.
• Sprinkle with dried oregano.
• Bake for 4 - 5 minutes until bread is golden and crispy. Remove large pieces of garlic.
• Season bread lightly with salt.