Even though almost everyone bakes now people tend to shy away from anything using yeast. Well I promise that working with yeast is fairly easy. Especially if you have a dough hook in your mixer or try no-knead bread or pizza dough (here). It takes times sure but it will cost you a few cents and there is nothing like freshly baked bread.
Stromboli!
Scott Conant’s Scarpetta restaurant has an amazing salami stromboli in their bread basket and after eating way too much of it at the Scarpetta in Vegas I was happy to find the recipe on Food Network’s website. Here’s the recipe on the site and below are some tips for making it:
SCARPETTA’S STROMBOLI
INGREDIENTS
Dough:
1 tablespoon dry yeast
Extra-virgin olive oil
5 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
Filling:
2 cups grated smoked mozzarella
Salt
1/2 bunch fresh basil, leaves chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces salami, sliced thin
Extra-virgin olive oil
Toppings:
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt, such as Maldon
1/4 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Citrus Herb Oil, for serving, recipe follows
Mascarpone Butter, for serving, recipe follows
Directions
For the dough: Whisk together 2 cups cold water, the yeast and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Put in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Mix on speed 1, or low speed, for 5 minutes. Add the flour and continue mixing for an additional 5 minutes. Then turn the mixer to speed 2, or medium speed, and mix for 5 minutes. Add the salt until incorporated. Add 1 tablespoon oil at the end of the 5 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a large hotel pan greased with oil. If you don’t have a hotel pan, you can use a large bowl; just make sure there is ample space for the dough to double in size. Put a little oil on top as well, about 2 tablespoons.
Wrap all the way around with plastic wrap and put on top of the oven (or other warm, draft-free area) with something in between, such as a kitchen towel or a baking tray, for about 1 1/2 hours. The dough will double in size.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
When ready, transfer the dough to an oiled table or flat surface. Form into a log to make it easier to portion, and cut into two equal pieces. Cover with plastic so it doesn’t dry out. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Lightly brush a baking tray with oil. Spread out the dough on the oiled countertop with the palms of your hands, don’t use your fingertips. It should be even all the way around, with no fat edges.
Place half the fillings on one piece of dough in the order listed: mozzarella, salt, basil, garlic, pepper and salami. Fill two-thirds of the surface, leaving the bottom third and a little on the sides empty. Roll the dough over twice, seal the sides with your palm, fold over the bottom and then the sides. Transfer to the oiled tray. Rub a little oil on top. Repeat with the second portion of dough. Put the rosemary, sea salt and tomatoes on top. Cover the tray with plastic and let sit for 15 minutes to rest.
When ready, put a pan of ice in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove. Place the tray in the oven and bake for a total of 45 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn 180 degrees. Bake another 20 minutes, then turn again and bake the remaining 5 minutes.
Transfer to a new baking sheet lined with parchment. Allow the loaves to cool. Slice and serve with Citrus Herb Oil and Mascarpone Butter for dipping.
TIPS:
– I halved the recipe, the original one makes A LOT of stromboli.
– If you don’t have a dough hook on your stand mixer and are kneading by hand, here’s a quick tutorial (video)
– When you are kneading just keep going until the dough goes from sticky and lumpy to shiny and smooth. Once the dough comes together and isn’t sticking to your hands anymore its ready!
– You don’t need Maldon sea salt but any coarse salt will do. I skipped the tomatoes and added some fleur de sel to the top of the loaves and they add a lot of texture and taste to the final product.
– Eat it right out of the oven! I mean not literally because it will be scalding hot but definitely tastes best eaten hot.
Sun Diego Eats 