Stromboli
(Italian sandwich filled with ham and cheese)
Basic bread dough
| Ingredients | |
| 630g | cake flour |
| 10g | instant yeast |
| 10ml | salt |
| 10ml | sugar |
| 375ml | luke warm water |
| 60ml | olive oil |
| (See method: How to knead bread by hand) | |
| For the filling | |
| 90g | tomato paste |
| 15ml | sugar |
| 5ml | oregano |
| 8 | slices of salami |
| 1 | onion, chopped |
| 125g | mozzarella, grated |
| Salt and pepper | |
Method
- Mix the sugar into the tomato paste. Spread the tomato paste over the dough, leaving a 2cm border around the edge.
- Sprinkle with oregano. Lay the salami in a single layer on top and sprinkle with the onion and cheese.
- Tuck in the 2 short ends and roll up firmly to enclose the filling. Place seal side down on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C.
- Brush the loaf with oil and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
How to knead bread by hand
- Always knead on a floured surface. Press the dough down firmly with the palm of one hand while firmly pushing it away from you in one movement with the other. There should be a pulling action between you and the dough.
- As soon as you’ve pushed the dough away, bring it back with your fingertips. Fold the parts you’ve brought back over the dough lying on the surface. Your one hand holds the dough while the other one does the work.
- Repeat step 1 and 2 until the dough is elastic and smooth. Form the dough into a ball before placing it in a lightly oiled glass bowl to rise. This is how you you work with yeast. Yeast allows the dough to start rising when you’re kneading it, but it’s a living organism and grows only at the right temperature – the same as that of your body, so not too hot. If you get it wrong, you will be kneading in vain. Dip your finger into the water before adding it to the yeast – it should feel lukewarm.
