Romano Cheese Easter Bread Food

EASY ROMAN CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together milk and yeast; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, eggs, yeast mixture, cheese and butter; mix well. Spoon batter into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

ROMANO CHEESE EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl.
• Stir flour and eggs into yeast mixture; beat on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add cheese and softened butter; beat a few minutes more, until fully incorporated. Dough will be very sticky. Scoop dough into greased mixing bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. Deflate dough and gently fold it over itself; cover and let rise again for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans or a tube pan.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Divide the dough in half, if using loaf pans, or shape it into a log if using a tube pan. Transfer dough to prepared pan(s). Let rise for 30 minutes.
• Bake in preheated oven until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when their bottoms are tapped, about 60 minutes. Remove from pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

CRESCIA AL FORMAGGIO (EASTER CHEESE BREAD)

Steps:

• To make the dough in an electric mixer: Combine all of the dough ingredients except the cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat on medium speed for 10 minutes, until the dough becomes shiny and satiny. Add the cheese and beat until blended. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and set it aside to rise for 1 hour. Gently deflate the dough, turn it over, return it to the bowl, and allow it to rise for an additional hour, or until it's nearly doubled in size.
• To make the dough in a bread machine: Place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your machine, program the machine for manual or dough, and press Start. Check the dough about 10 minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle, and adjust its consistency as necessary with additional flour or water; it should be shiny and elastic. Allow the machine to complete its cycle.
• To shape the dough: Oil or flour your hands. To make one large loaf, form the dough into a ball, and place it in a greased pandoro (star) or panettone pan, large souffle dish, or other round, deep pan; the pan should be about 6" to 7" wide and 3" to 4" deep. To make two medium loaves, divide the dough in half, shape it into two logs, and place it in two greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans. Cover the loaf or loaves lightly, and allow them to rise for 2 hours (or longer, depending on the warmth of your kitchen); the bread should have become noticeably puffy, though it may not have doubled in size.
• To bake the bread: Put your oven rack in a lower position, just below the middle, and preheat the oven to 425°F Whisk the reserved egg white with the water and brush the top of the loaf/loaves. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, tent the bread lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F.
• Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges, if necessary, and turn the loaf/loaves out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing. Yield: One large or two medium loaves.

NEAPOLITAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the lard, yeast, and salt with the flour, adding as much water as necessary to get a rather soft dough. Work it steadily for about 10 minutes Place it into a bowl previously sprinkled with olive oil, cover with a woolen cloth and leave it to raise in a lukewarm place. After about 1 1/2 hours, when the dough has leavened, place it on a pastry board, punch it with your hands to stop it swelling and flatten it out into a large square (about 15" x 24"). Spread on some lard and sprinkle with a lot of fresh cracked pepper.
• Now add 1/4 lb each of chopped up salame and chopped up prosciutto. Sprinkle with coarsely grated pecorino romano or parmigiano. Roll up into a tube. Grease an angel food cake pan with lard and place tube inside (forming a ring).
• Lay 5 eggs (wash them but do not boil them first) on top and top with a criss cross of dough (2 strips of dough, forming an X, laid on top to hold down the eggs). Let rise for another hour or more (again, should be more than doubled). When ready, place in oven at 375 - 400 F (185-200 C) until the top is nice and brown and looks ready. This normally takes about an hour to an hour and a half. The smell in your house should tell you it is ready (my mouth starts watering and I know it is time :-).
• Now the hard part. Let bread cool. Place in a paper bag (NOT PLASTIC) and leave it for the following day (do not refrigerate). It really needs a day to get full flavor. Leftover is great toasted the following day or even topped with a mild cheese and tomato slices and toasted in the oven.

ROSEMARY ROMANO BREAD

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt butter. Stir in the Romano cheese, garlic and rosemary. Spread over cut side of bread. , Place cut side up on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Slice and serve warm.

CRESCIA ~ UMBRIAN EASTER CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Spray one large, or two small soufflé dishes with oil, and using a strip of parchment paper, line the top of the dish adding an additional 2 to 3 inches of height.
• Add the yeast to the water in a bowl and mix, and let sit 5 minutes until bubbly.
• In another bowl, beat first the 7 eggs, then add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated cheese.
• Add the yeast mixture to the egg mixture and stir until combined.
• Add half the flour and stir.
• Continue to add flour one cup at a time until you create a firm dough that is not too sticky.
• Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand, folding in the diced cheese as you work the dough.
• Knead for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has been incorporated into the dough, and the dough is smooth.
• Lightly oil a large bowl with olive oil and let the dough rise until doubled, covered, in a warm spot.
• Punch down the dough and form it into a ball and place it into the prepared soufflé dish.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover the bread with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about 30 minutes.
• Bake the bread for about 55 minutes to an hour (for large souffle dish), or until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.
• Let the bread cool for 10 minutes, remove it from the baking dish and let cool to room temperature before cutting into it.

HERB & ROMANO CHEESE WREATH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and honey in warm water; stir in milk powder. In a large bowl, combine eggs, softened butter, 2 tablespoons cheese, rosemary, thyme, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds. Roll each into a 30-in. rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid. Shape into a wreath and pinch ends to seal., Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°., Brush braid with melted butter; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.