We are already into our next chapter in the cook book that is proving invaluable for families loving old town Italian cuisine.  A Taste of Utica chapter:  BREADS.

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Italian Bread – page 53 Posted by Mario Scalzo jr.

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  • 6 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 TBS sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 TBS shortening
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 package (or 2 1/2 tsp) dry yeast

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and dry yeast.  Mix well.

Combine water, milk and shortening in saucepan and warm to lukewarm or until shortening is dissolved.

Make a well in the flour mixture and add the egg and a portion of the milk mixture.  Mix with a spoon, adding more milk mixture until all of the liquid is used up.  Pour on a floured board and knead with your hands until the dough is nice and smooth.

Put the dough into a greased bowl and place in a warm, draft free place.  Let rise until doubled in volume (about 2 to 2 1/2 hours).

Shape into loaves and place into two loaf pans and let rise again for a couple of minutes.  Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 350 degrees F for about 35 to 40 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

To make a hard Italian crust:  While baking, mist the oven and loaves with cool water about every 10 to 15 minutes.

Mario says….”This dough is also delicious for pizza or pizza fritta!

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Italian Bread II – page 54 Posted by Mario Scalzo Jr.

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*This was the recipe Apple Crumbles used.  There is an error in the book.  In the ingredients, it is listed at the very bottom “1 1/2 cups of hot water”.  In the directions, however, it indicates to …..”add 2 1/2 cups of hot water….”   DON’T make the same error I made.  I read the instructions without checking the ingredients.  Recovery attempt from near failure was as much of a success as to be expected.  The dough was too wet to rise sufficiently but did produce a very light, airy, and DELICIOUS crumb.

  • 1 package (2 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 5 cups flour * Apple Crumbles used 3 cups bread flour and 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 TBS sugar
  • 4 TBS olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups hot water

In a large bowl, place the sugar in warm water and stir around to dissolve.  Add the yeast.   Set aside. 

In a second bowl, add 1 1/2 cups hot water and the rest of the ingredients. Add yeast-sugar-water and mix.  Put in a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil and brush oil on dough.  Cover and let rise at least 2 1/2 hours. 

Shape the dough and allow to rise another 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F and back until brown, approximately 35 minutes.

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NOTE:  The water to dissolve the yeast should be luke warm – just warm to the touch as not to kill the yeast.  Also, dissolving the sugar in the warm water before dissolving the yeast helps the dough rise as the yeast feeds on sugar.

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Wonderful recipe for bread. I’ll be making this over and over again.

Joanne

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