TASTE
Casatiello
For centuries, the people of Campania, southern Italy have celebrated Easter with a slice of Casatiello – a bread enriched with meat and cheese. Its distinctive ring shape symbolises the crown of thorns worn by Jesus, and the eggs baked into it are secured by crosses.
INGREDIENTS
For the dough mixture:
600g plain flour
300ml tepid water
12g dry yeast (or 24g fresh yeast)
150g lard, room temperature
50g parmesan cheese, finely grated (or grated pecorino)
12g sea salt
½tsp black pepper, ground
To finish:
50g lard, room temperature
350g gruyère cheese, diced into
1cm cubes
350g salami, ham and/or pancetta, diced into ½cm cubes
4 eggs, rinsed and dried
METHOD
1. Mix the water and yeast in a cup. Pour into a bowl and add the flour, 150g lard, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Cover with cling film and leave for 30 mins.
2. Put the dough onto a board, stretch one side and fold it in the middle; repeat with the opposite side of the dough.
3. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat with both unstretched sides.
4. Turn over the dough so the folded sides are down. Roll into a ball, return to the bowl and cover with cling film for 1 hour.
5. Reserve 75g of dough for the crosses on top of the eggs, and wrap in cling film. Roll the rest into a 1cm-thick rectangle.
6. Spread the remaining 50g of lard onto the dough rectangle.
7. Sprinkle the cheese, salami, ham and/or pancetta evenly over the dough; roll into a cylinder.
8. Grease a ring mould. Roll the dough into the mould, folding the ends under. (If you don’t have a ring mould, use a bottomless cake tin on a baking tray, a ramekin in the middle.)
9. Prick the top with a fork. Cover with cling film and leave for 3 hours or overnight.
10. Preheat an oven to 160ºC. Place the eggs evenly around the ring.
11. Divide the reserved dough into 8 pieces and roll into cylinders. Make crosses over the eggs, pressing the ends into the dough. Brush with oil and bake for 1 hour until golden.
12. The dough should be 90–95ºC in the centre when done. Allow to cool, then slice.
Recipe: livingalifeincolour.com