Pagnotta Bread Bowl Recipes

QUICK AND EASY BREAD BOWLS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 500°. Punch dough down. Divide and shape into 6 balls. Place 3 in. apart on 2 baking sheets that have been generously sprinkled with cornmeal or greased. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15 minutes. Spray loaves with water; if desired, generously sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a sharp knife, score surface with shallow cuts in an "X" pattern. Bake 2 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 425°. Bake until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190°-200°. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Cut a thin slice off the top of bread. Hollow out bottom portion of loaf, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Discard removed bread or save for another use, such as croutons.

PAGNOTTA (SWEET RAISIN BREAD)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. When yeast has foamed, add the eggs and sugar that have been beaten together. Add anise, grated rinds, and salt. In a large pot, mix flour and raisins. Add yeast mixture to flour, mixing and blending to form a dough. Rub olive oil over dough and set covered out of draft to rise. In about 2 hours, punch dough down and let rise again. (Oil your hands before handling dough so it doesn't stick). On second rise, divide dough into four pieces. Shape into loaved and place into 4 oiled bread loaf pans. Let rise to double in bulk. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes. Loosely cover pans with foil, reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer.

PAGNOTTA BREAD BOWL RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the dough: Put the flour in a bowl and add yeast to it. Mix. Add the salt after mixing the yeast into the flour. Add your olive oil and 3/4 cup of water. If using a stand mixer, mix on low speed with paddle. Begin adding the remaining water. The water will be your variable, not your flour. Add water until the dough appears quite sticky. If using a mixer, change to the dough hook. If working by hand, begin kneading process. The dough will appear stickier than you are probably used to. Knead by machine for about 4-5 minutes or by hand until dough is elastic. Finish off the mixer kneading by some hand kneading as well. Put the dough in a bowl rubbed with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Either let rest in the refrigerator overnight for a long, cool rise or let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, fold and tuck the dough, and let rise another hour. Shaping dough: Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Make a round loaf by laying the dough smooth side down and pulling the dough toward the middle at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Then pull the dough toward the middle from 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. Turn the dough round over and tuck the dough tightly to the bottom using your hands to pull the dough to the bottom. Set the round upside down on a floured towel to rise for about 40 minutes, covered. Baking: Preheat the baking stones in the center of oven at 425 degrees. Before slashing the bread, throw 1/4 cup of water into the bottom of the oven for steam. Turn the loaf right side up onto a peel. Slash the top of the bread and put into the oven. Add another splash of water to the bottom of the oven. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 400°F. Bake for a total of about 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature of the loaf is about 200 degrees. Remove and cool completely. Making soup bowls: When round is completely cooled, using a serrated knife, cut a hold in the top of the loaf. Hollow out much of the internal dough and save for other uses, or to eat! When ready to serve, pour soup into "bowl" and serve immediately. Freezing Bread: Double wrap bread with plastic wrap. Then place into a ziplock bag. When ready to serve. Thaw completely and then pop bread into the oven for 5 minutes at the same temperature you baked it at, until it is crisp. Add water to the bottom of the oven pan. Recipe from Kathy Lehr, "Soup in a Bread Bowl", Cooks Wares, March 2010