Rebirth (and an Easter salame-egg-pepper bread: “Casatiello”)
| April 5, 2012 | Posted by ameliaps under breads, easter, eggs, holidays, Italia, Italian, italy |
Let every man and woman count himself immortal.
Let him catch the revelation of Jesus in his resurrection.
Let him say not merely, “Christ is risen,” but “I shall rise.” ~Phillips Brooks
Easter is a very special time for us Christians and it is one of the most hopeful times.
This year I am especially spent, so I welcome this time to reflect and hope and renew.
Every time I feel this way I head to the kitchen, my home temple. A place where i use my hands for manual work as I free up my mind: almost a form of prayer and meditation.
The kitchen has been such place for centuries… Incredible peace and re-assurance can come from preparing the same foods that are passed on for generations and prepared around the same exact time of the year. Today, we are frequently missing the element of ritual in our life. I find it necessary and restoring.
Casatiello (or Tortano) is a savory Neapolitan bread, enriched with salame, cheese and pepper. During Easter, eggs are added on top (and baked to hard boiled consistency) . The name Casatiello derives from “caso” (cheese), which is used in the filling. This bread is incredibly rich of symbolism, as many of the dishes prepared traditionally during the Christian holidays. Eggs for faith and rebirth, the circular shape for Jesus’ crown, the criss-cross dough over the eggs for Jesus’ cross, the risen dough for hope, the pecorino (goat) cheese for the sacrificed lamb. It is amazing that one dish can hold so much hope…
Here is to hope and renewal: may we all “rise”! Buona Pasqua (Happy Easter)
| Easter salame-egg-pepper bread: “Casatiello” |
- 1 package active dry yeast (or 1 oz. cake yeast)
- a pinch of sugar
- 1.5-2 cups (250-500 ml) warm water
- 4 cups (400 gr.) unbleached bread flour (or all purpose)
- 4 ounces (100 gr.) lard (or 1/3 cup / 80 ml. olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
- 1/3 cup (60 gr.) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 4 oz. (100 gr.) provolone cheese, diced or shredded
- 2 oz. (50 gr.) salame, cut in small dice
- 2 oz. (50 gr.) pork crackling (or use salame, ham, or crumbled bacon)
- 5 eggs
- Grease a 10 inch tube/bundt pan and set aside.
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water and allow to react for 10 minutes.
- Add the flour to a stand mixer. Add the yeasted water, lard (or olive oil), salt and pepper and knead until combined. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of warm water (or as needed) and the cheese to obtain a smooth dough. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hours or until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down (cutting off a small fist size piece for the decoration).
- Knead the dough again and roll it out into a rectangle. Sprinkle the cheese, salame, and crackling (if using) over the dough. Roll it up pinching the ends and making sure the filling is tucked inside, then roll it and place it as a ring in the prepared pan.
- Cover and allow it to rise for about another hour.
- Turn oven on at 350F.
- Using your fingers make four indentations in the top of the dough, about evenly at the four ends and place in each 4 of the eggs. Use the reserved dough to make some strips that will secure the eggs in criss-cross fashion.
- Use the last egg to make an egg wash to brush over the bread.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden. Serve lukewarm.
And a few more pictures of spring:
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The bread looks wonderful!
Happy Easter to you and your family.
Joan: hope it was a wonderful Easter
i would love to be at your house, digging into that casatiella. buona Pasqua.
Linda: I am sure we would have a lot to share!
Such a beautiful and impressive bread. Happy Easter to you!
Sylvie: and to you!
To Hope and Renewal – Cheers! Thanks for sharing Amelia. Have a Happy Easter!
“Appreciation is yeast, lifting ordinary to extraordinary”.
Donna: i like your toast and quote (and reciprocate)
Joyeuses Pâques!!! Such a lovely post with wonderful pictures. Bright and colorful.
David: a toi aussi!
I too see the kitchen as a very healing space. It is one of my favorite places to spend time, both alone and with others.
“healing”… so true
I met a woman from Toscana this weekend who is married to a guy from Bari and she was making scarcella for the holiday. It also has a whole egg in the shell baked on top…which begs me to ask, is the egg eaten when the bread is served? Does one person get it and peel it?
By the way, I read recently that the use of eggs in springtime rituals is also to celebrate the return of the laying season of hens, who start up again when the days grow longer. So many things that food teaches us! xo
Tori: I know: food is our memory, our heritage, our culture… it’s wonderful to be heralding it’s message, from generation to generation. As far as the egg, it’s usually the kids that get to eat them when the bread is served. (P.s. i did not know the hen symbolism)
LOVE your photos of the flowers, Amelia….and don’t get me started about that lovely bread, the filling sounds sublime.