Italian Casatiello Napoletano Savory Stuffed Easter Bread An Italian In My Kitchen Recipes

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand up mixer whisk together the flour, salt, zest and sugar, make a well in the centre and add the milk and yeast, mix together with a fork. Then add the egg. With the dough hook attachment knead for approximately 1 minute just to combine.
• Cover the bowl with plastic and let rise 2 hours, every 30 minutes fold both ends into the middle (repeating 4 times).
• When the time has passed add the butter a little at a time, on medium high speed with the dough hook, knead just to combine all the butter, then let the dough rest 10 minutes. Knead again for 5-6 minutes until smooth and the dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
• Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll each part into 2 ropes (10-12 inches / 25-30cm), join 2 ropes at the top and twist the ends one over the other (see photo), join the ends to form a wreath (circle) repeat with the remaining ropes. Place the wreaths on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, cover and let rise in a warm draft free area for 1-2 hours or doubled in bulk.
• 15 minutes before rising time has finished pre heat oven to 390F (195C).
• Add a dyed uncooked egg (if desired) to the centre of the wreath then brush the wreaths with the egg wash (be careful not to brush the eggs) and sprinkle with the sprinkles. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden, or when tapped on the bottom and there is a hollow sound. Immediately move the baked buns to a wire rack to cool. Let cool before serving. Enjoy!
• In a small bowl beat together the egg and water.

NEAPOLITAN EASTER BREAD (CASATIELLO)

Steps:

• Grease a 10-inch or 24-centimeter tube pan with a flat bottom with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons/30 grams semolina, tapping out any extra once the interior is fully coated.
• Combine herbs, 2 tablespoons oil and a good pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz to form a paste, scraping down sides as necessary, and then set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the lukewarm water. Use a spatula to stir mixture until combined and turn out onto a floured work surface. Dust your hands with flour, then knead dough for 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. You may need to add more flour if dough is too sticky, but do not add too much or it will become dry. Shape dough into a ball and set aside. Scrape down, clean and dry work surface, then dust with more flour.
• Roll dough into a 12-by-16-inch/30-by-40-centimeter rectangle, with the longest side toward you. Spread evenly with herb paste, leaving a 1 1/2-inch/4-centimeter border at the top and bottom, and a 1/2-inch/1-centimeter border on the sides. Scatter salami, Gruyère, Parmesan and egg evenly over herb paste. Grind pepper generously over the surface and then gently push the cheese, egg and meat into the dough.
• Starting from the longest side, roll dough into a log (as you would a Swiss roll or the dough for cinnamon rolls), making sure to tuck dough in at the ends as you go so contents don't fall out. Press edges to seal.
• Transfer dough to pan, with the long sealed side facing down. The stuffed dough will be heavy, so make sure you have a good grip on both ends before you lift it. Use your hands to bring the ends together, pinching them into place so they form a continuous ring of dough. (It may be easier to shape it into a ring on the counter first and then transfer it to pan.) Using a pastry brush, coat dough with remaining oil and then sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon/15 grams semolina. Cover with a slightly damp cloth and let rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until nearly doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/230 degrees Celsius.
• Bake bread for 30 minutes, until golden and crisp; it will seem very hard but will soften once it cools. Remove from oven and set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Turn bread out of pan onto a wooden board. (You may need to run a knife along edges of pan to release the bread.) Serve warm or cold.