Pani di Pizza Pazzu, n'Turciniatu
Crazy, Twisted Pizza Bread
I gave this little masterpiece a name in Sicilian dialect, just for a giggle, but also because the method for making it is one that I picked up from a traditional kind of stuffed loaf that they make in the old country. Only they aren't as lazy as I am back home... But when the results are as good as this, doing it my way... Then who can blame me?
I have posted these little, twisted loaves a couple of times before... So quick and easy to make, using a roll of store-bought pizza dough and a little imagination- the sky and your own level of craziness is the limit!
You can put almost any kind of filling into these loaves- tomatoes, cheese, ham, onion, bacon, olives, nuts, herbs, spices... Even sweet fillings like berries, fruits and nuts... Think of it as what it is- a pizza that has been topped, rolled up, slit open and then tied back together again... I didn't call it crazy for nothing you know!
These were the crazy ingredients for my little loaf this evening... 3 mild green chili peppers, 8 yellow cherry tomatoes, around 4" of salami, a handful of fresh basil, a good sprig of fresh rosemary, either 1 tablespoon of those wonderful, Chinese fermented olive leaves or simply chopped black olives, some salted ricotta for grating, pepper for seasoning and a light drizzle of olive oil for a glaze... That was my mix this evening... What is yours going to be?
And to think that I was thinking of simply making a sandwich using these same ingredients... Silly me! How much more boring would that have been?! This was a much better way of enjoying them that simply laying them between 2 slices of bread! Am I right? Or am I right?
To make one of these loaves, simply chop up your chosen ingredients rather finely- you want to be able to spread them out evenly and for them to cook through quickly.
Cut your sheet of pizza dough into 2 equal parts and sprinkle evenly with all of your ingredients... As you can see here, just a little goes a long way! And do not be tempted to add more filling, trust me... Less is more and will definitely get you the best results.
With the salami, the salted ricotta and the olives or olive leaves, there is plenty of salt in this as it is, the only thing you need to add is plenty of pepper... And then you are ready to roll... Literally!
Rolling the dough up is very easy if you simply make use of the paper backing and tightly roll it over, press down and peel back... Do this and repeat all the way to the end... Simple! Then, turn your sheet around and do the same thing with the other piece of dough...
Now, turn on your oven to get it nice and hot... Grab a sharp knife and get back to your chopping board to have some fun!
Give your rolls a little tug, this will help to tighten them up slightly, then place them with the overlapping end facing down...
...and as I said, take a very sharp knife and cut a slit into each roll that goes half-way through, revealing all of the filling... Pretty, isn't it?
Press the ends furthest from you together a little and then twist the 2 rolls over each other right to the end in a very simple plait.
Holding one end of your plait down, lift the other and then twist it around so that you basically have laid that long plait together in a circle, press the ends together, shape it and squeeze it into shape. If it needs it, slightly pull apart the slits to expose the filling a little more, then place into a dry, non-stick pan and set it on top of a hot stove top for 4-5 minutes, to get the base baking nicely from below before you transfer the pan to the oven.
Lightly drizzle and brush the surface with a little oil and bake at 180 C for around 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
And even if this WAS made from a roll of store-bought dough... There are not many words that can describe how delicious the result is that come close to this simple picture... Let's just say it tastes simply divine!
The truth of the matter is, if you want to make one of these loaves, you will have a very difficult time indeed if you try rolling up a freshly made dough, which will be much, much softer once rolled out... And especially if you cut into it... No! Do what I do and you will be thankful for it... I promise you!
Go on, stop doubting and simply take a bite... You know you want to!
Crazy, Twisted Pizza Bread
I gave this little masterpiece a name in Sicilian dialect, just for a giggle, but also because the method for making it is one that I picked up from a traditional kind of stuffed loaf that they make in the old country. Only they aren't as lazy as I am back home... But when the results are as good as this, doing it my way... Then who can blame me?
I have posted these little, twisted loaves a couple of times before... So quick and easy to make, using a roll of store-bought pizza dough and a little imagination- the sky and your own level of craziness is the limit!
You can put almost any kind of filling into these loaves- tomatoes, cheese, ham, onion, bacon, olives, nuts, herbs, spices... Even sweet fillings like berries, fruits and nuts... Think of it as what it is- a pizza that has been topped, rolled up, slit open and then tied back together again... I didn't call it crazy for nothing you know!
These were the crazy ingredients for my little loaf this evening... 3 mild green chili peppers, 8 yellow cherry tomatoes, around 4" of salami, a handful of fresh basil, a good sprig of fresh rosemary, either 1 tablespoon of those wonderful, Chinese fermented olive leaves or simply chopped black olives, some salted ricotta for grating, pepper for seasoning and a light drizzle of olive oil for a glaze... That was my mix this evening... What is yours going to be?
And to think that I was thinking of simply making a sandwich using these same ingredients... Silly me! How much more boring would that have been?! This was a much better way of enjoying them that simply laying them between 2 slices of bread! Am I right? Or am I right?
To make one of these loaves, simply chop up your chosen ingredients rather finely- you want to be able to spread them out evenly and for them to cook through quickly.
Cut your sheet of pizza dough into 2 equal parts and sprinkle evenly with all of your ingredients... As you can see here, just a little goes a long way! And do not be tempted to add more filling, trust me... Less is more and will definitely get you the best results.
With the salami, the salted ricotta and the olives or olive leaves, there is plenty of salt in this as it is, the only thing you need to add is plenty of pepper... And then you are ready to roll... Literally!
Rolling the dough up is very easy if you simply make use of the paper backing and tightly roll it over, press down and peel back... Do this and repeat all the way to the end... Simple! Then, turn your sheet around and do the same thing with the other piece of dough...
Now, turn on your oven to get it nice and hot... Grab a sharp knife and get back to your chopping board to have some fun!
Give your rolls a little tug, this will help to tighten them up slightly, then place them with the overlapping end facing down...
...and as I said, take a very sharp knife and cut a slit into each roll that goes half-way through, revealing all of the filling... Pretty, isn't it?
Press the ends furthest from you together a little and then twist the 2 rolls over each other right to the end in a very simple plait.
Holding one end of your plait down, lift the other and then twist it around so that you basically have laid that long plait together in a circle, press the ends together, shape it and squeeze it into shape. If it needs it, slightly pull apart the slits to expose the filling a little more, then place into a dry, non-stick pan and set it on top of a hot stove top for 4-5 minutes, to get the base baking nicely from below before you transfer the pan to the oven.
Lightly drizzle and brush the surface with a little oil and bake at 180 C for around 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
And even if this WAS made from a roll of store-bought dough... There are not many words that can describe how delicious the result is that come close to this simple picture... Let's just say it tastes simply divine!
The truth of the matter is, if you want to make one of these loaves, you will have a very difficult time indeed if you try rolling up a freshly made dough, which will be much, much softer once rolled out... And especially if you cut into it... No! Do what I do and you will be thankful for it... I promise you!
Go on, stop doubting and simply take a bite... You know you want to!
Das sieht toll aus. Perfekt für den nächsten gemütlichen Abend mit Gästen.
ReplyDeleteHerzliche Grüße, Renate
Danke Renate! Un ja- da dafür ist es genau das richtige! Ihr wird begeistert sein! :-) Viele Grüße, Francesco
ReplyDelete