Crusty Italian Sub Supreme Recipes

10 CLASSIC ITALIAN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep an Italian sandwich in 30 minutes or less!

CRUSTY ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup water over low heat until temperature reaches 120°F to 130°F. Mix 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in bowl. Stir in heated water to form soft dough. Stir in about 1 cup flour until dough begins to lose its stickiness, 2 minutes.
• Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes; add more flour to prevent sticking, if necessary. Shape dough into ball. Place in oiled bowl; turn to oil top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Grease large baking sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Punch down dough. Flatten into 10-inch circle. Roll up tightly into an oblong. Pinch to seal. Taper ends by rolling back and forth. (The finished loaf should be about 12 inches long.) Place loaf on baking sheet, seam side down. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly beat egg and remaining 2 tablespoons water in small bowl. Uncover loaf. Make several 3-inch-long diagonal slashes in top of loaf. Brush egg mixture evenly over loaf. Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from baking sheet. Cool completely on wire rack.

CRUSTY ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Dissolve the yeast in a quarter-cup of warm water. You should actually check the temperature of the water. Too cold and it won't activate, too hot and you can kill the yeast.
• 2. Give the yeast a few minutes, until it starts bubbling, then mix it in with the rest of the warm water.
• 3. Add the flour, sugar and salt and stir.
• 4. Don't add the oil until after you've worked the water and flour together. Otherwise the oil will coat the proteins and prevent gluten formation. Gluten lets the dough stretch when it rises, making it light and chewy instead of crumbling like cake.
• 5. After mixing the oil in, turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface to knead.
• 6. Stretch the dough away from you, fold it back, turn a quarter turn and repeat. Once the dough is well incorporated, slap it on the surface a few times. This will encourage more gluten production leading to a lighter, airier bread.
• 7. When the dough is smooth and silky, continue kneading for another several minutes. You can work it with both hands and keep turning the dough, or just hit it from opposite angles with each hand.
• 8. Once the dough is thoroughly kneaded, place it in an oiled bowl. Toss the dough around so it is coated with oil all the way around.
• 9. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressed right up against the dough. This will prevent a skin from forming on the dough, allowing it to rise more.
• 10. Put the bowl someplace warm until the dough has doubled in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
• 11. Pre-heat the oven to 425°. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the bottom rack. Otherwise, place a baking sheet upside-down on the bottom rack. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and punch down to knock out most of the air out. Don't go crazy and try to turn it into a pancake. Just give it a quick couple of hits.
• 12. Roll the dough out into a loaf shape and cut it in half. You can form the halves into loaves or, like I did here, divide each half into three smaller pieces.
• 13. Roll out the pieces of dough until they are about 6-9 inches long.
• 14. If you have a peel (the large wooden spatula you see in pizza shops) use that. If not, a wooden cutting board will work. Dust it with cornmeal so the dough doesn't stick.
• 15. Cover the loaves with plastic and allow to rise for another 40 minutes. They should roughly double in width.
• 16. Cut each loaf down the middle with the sharpest blade you have. If you don't have anything that is absolutely razor sharp, use a razor blade. You want to cut about a quarter-inch deep in a single quick stroke without sawing back-and-forth. This will prevent the bread from bursting open when it rises in the oven.
• 17. Transfer the loaves onto the baking stone. Leave room between loaves for them to rise some more. If they don't all fit on your stone, put the rest on an upside-down baking sheet.
• 18. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400° and bake another 25-30 minutes. To check if they're done, pick one loaf up and thump on the bottom with your thumb. If it has a hollow sound, it's done. If you want really crusty bread, great for dipping in olive oil or marinara sauce, place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. The steam will keep a skin from forming too fast, giving the bread more time to rise. It will also make the crust crisper. Don't put the loaves near the top. The radiant heat from the top of the stove will brown the crust too much, too fast. Serve immediately with butter, or with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.

CAESAR SALAD SUPREME

Steps:

• Mince 3 cloves of garlic, and combine in a small bowl with mayonnaise, anchovies, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the remaining 3 cloves of garlic into quarters, and add to hot oil. Cook and stir until brown, and then remove garlic from pan. Add bread cubes to the hot oil. Cook, turning frequently, until lightly browned. Remove bread cubes from oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Place lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with dressing, remaining Parmesan cheese, and seasoned bread cubes.

PAT'S KING OF STEAKS PHILLY CHEESESTEAK

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the onion and, if desired, mushrooms and peppers in 3 tablespoons oil until tender. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan, saute beef in remaining oil in batches for 45-60 seconds or until meat reaches desired doneness., On each roll bottom, layer the beef, onion mixture, cheese and, if desired, ketchup. Replace tops.

GOCHUJANG GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix Gruyère, white cheddar, fontina cheese, garlic, parsley, gochujang, mayonnaise, and onion in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Heat a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high. Fry pancetta until crispy and fat has rendered, 3-5 minutes per side. Wipe out skillet and reserve for sandwiches.
• Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise total (doing this before toasting helps ensure a golden brown and crispy grilled cheese). Flip 2 slices over so mayo side is face down. Divide cheese spread between these 2 slices. Top each slice with a piece of pancetta, half of sliced okra, half of bean sprouts, and a second slice of bread with the mayo on the outside of the sandwich.
• Heat reserved skillet over medium-high. Combine oil and butter, stir until butter is melted, and immediately add sandwiches. Cover skillet with a lid or baking sheet to properly melt cheese; toast until bread is crispy and browned, 3-5 minutes per side. Cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately.
• Cheese spread can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.