Prosciutto Bread Aka Lard Bread Recipe 385

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Unroll the French bread dough and sprinkle with the pepper. Cover with the prosciutto. Roll into a log and twist, pulling and shaping it into an 8-inch ring. Pinch the ends together.
• Place on the prepared baking sheet, brush with the oil and bake until golden, 20 minutes. Brush with more oil; bake 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with more oil before serving.

Steps:

• Step 1: Mix flour, malt powder and yeast in a stand mixer. Combine salt with flour mixture in the mixer bowl - this is done separately from the first mixing so the salt doesn't retard the action of the yeast. Step 2: Add water to mixing bowl and mix into flour with dough hook on low to moisten. Knead for seven minutes on medium speed. Mix in prosciutto on low speed. Dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. If dough is too sticky knead in more flour a little at a time. If the dough is too dry, spray with a bit of water and knead. Step 3: Shape dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle dough with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes. Step 4: Roll dough into an 18" cylinder and form into a ring. Ensure the ends stick together and place on parchment paper on a large cookie sheet. Spray dough with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled for about 1 hour. I usually heat my oven to the lowest setting and then shut it off before placing dough into it to allow it to rise. Also, I like to let the last rise happen overnight but I didn't have time for that this time. Step 5: Use a pizza stone or baking sheet on a low shelf of the oven and place a baking sheet on the lowest shelf of the oven (or on the bottom of the oven if your heating element isn't on the bottom of the oven). Preheat oven to 450 degrees for at least 10 minutes. Step 6: Transfer bread to pizza stone or baking sheet in the preheated oven and brush with about 1/3 of melted butter. Add about half to a dozen ice cubes into the baking sheet on lowest shelf of the oven. Step 7: Bake 15 minutes. Remove parchment paper and turn bread front to back to allow for even baking. Brush bread with about another 1/3 of melted butter. Add another dozen ice cubes. Bake another 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Step 8: Turn off oven and leave bread in the oven with door propped open for another 5 minutes. Step 9: Remove bread from oven and brush with the remaining butter. Allow to cool but if you aren't having company or bringing this bread to a function, this bread tastes delicious slightly warm and crispy. Use this bread to make Saveur's stuffing.

Steps:

• In a large bowl or in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir. Let stand until the yeast softens, about 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve the yeast.
• Using a wooden spoon or the paddle blade of the mixer, stir in the oil, salt and pepper. Gradually beat in enough flour to make a shaggy dough that clears the sides of the bowl.
• If kneading by hand, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• If kneading by machine, change to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If desired, knead on the work surface to check the consistency.
• Shape the dough into a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Turn to coat the dough with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough and shape into a ball. Return the dough to the bowl, turn to coat with oil, cover and let rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet.
• Turn out the dough onto the work surface. Knead, gradually working in the prosciutto and rosemary. Flatten the dough into a 12-inch disk. Starting at a long end, roll up jelly-roll style. Pinch the seams shut. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
• Using a very sharp knife, cut 3 shallow diagonal slashes in the top of the bread. Bake until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, wrap in aluminum foil and store at room temperature up to 8 hours before serving.