Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across top of each loaf. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
Note: Take the time to knead well to ensure a light texture. After kneading the first few minutes, press your thumb into the dough. If the indent stays, you're done. If not, knead a few more minutes.
Fresh Pasta Dough
Learning to make fresh pasta is a must for any Italian cook.
Alec recommends investing in a quality hand crank pasta maker and a sturdy pastry wheel. She also uses ravioli molds.
Ingredients
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Mix eggs, flour, oil, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes.
Cut and roll into desired pasta shape.
The dough can be made 1 day ahead; tightly wrap and chill.
Pizza Crust
Handmade pizza crust in much easier to prepare than most imagine and the smell of it baking and fresh taste are worth the effort.
This is the crust Alec uses for her Homemade Margherita Pizza.
Ingredients
2-2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, divided
1 packet instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup warm water (between 105-115° F)
Instructions
Combine 1 cup of flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Add olive oil and warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir very well. Gradually add another 1 cup of flour. Add any additional flour as needed, stirring until the dough forms into a cohesive, elastic ball and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will still be slightly sticky but still should be manageable with your hands.
Brush a separate bowl with olive oil, covering thoroughly. Dust your hands with flour and form the dough into a ball and transfer to the olive oil-brushed bowl. Use your hands to roll the pizza dough along the inside of the bowl until it is coated in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, use your hands to gently deflate it and transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth (about 3-5 times).
Use either your hands or a rolling pin to work the dough into 12-14 inch circle. Transfer dough to a parchment paper lined pizza pan and either pinch the edges or fold them over to form a crust.
Drizzle additional olive oil (about a tablespoon) over the top of the pizza and use your pastry brush to brush the entire surface of the pizza (including the crust) with olive oil.
Use a fork to poke holes all over the center of the pizza to keep the dough from bubbling up in the oven. Add desired toppings and bake in a 425° F preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until toppings are golden brown. Slice and serve.
Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Focaccia is similar to pizza crust but is more bread-like and is usually eaten as a snack or a side. This recipe has the added rich taste of rosemary.
Alec prepares this bread to give away to friends on a regular basis and brings some to most casual gatherings.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary (plus more)
1/4 cup roasted garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Instructions
Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil, rosemary, roasted garlic and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil.
Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough.
Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425° F.
Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.
Part VII
Dolce (Desserts)
Cannoli
Cannoli are a part of every celebration, trial, and tragedy for Grace and her loved ones.
Alec rarely makes this dish since Juliana’s Bakery is the go-to stop for all things cannoli, but in the absence of Juliana’s, she found this to be a close substitute.
Ingredients
Shells:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup dry white wine
Filling:
2 cups ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk, drained over a colander for at least 30 minutes to remove excess liquid
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup small semisweet chocolate chips
1 lemon
1 quart canola oil, for frying
Flour, for rolling
1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Shells:
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles small pebbles.
Add the egg and cold wine and pulse until the dough just barely begins to hold together. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, 3-4 minutes.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Lightly coat the dough with flour and roll it through a pasta machine set to the thickest setting. If you don’t have a pasta machine, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out as thin as possible on a lightly floured surface, to 1/8-inch thick.
Use a 4-inch, round cookie cutter to cut circles from the dough. Take one circle at a time and pull it into a 5-inch oval. Repeat with the excess dough, kneading it back together and cutting it until you have 12 ovals.
Place the egg white in a small bowl and set aside. In a wide pot with a heavy bottom, heat vegetable oil of your choice to between 350° and 380° F. Line a large plate with paper towels.
Wrap one oval of dough loosely lengthwise around a cannoli form or 1-inch-diameter wooden dowel. Brush one
end of the dough with egg white, then pull the dry end over the top and press down to seal. Repeat with three more dough ovals.
Using tongs, carefully lower the dough into the oil and fry until golden-brown, turning them as they fry, 2-3 minutes. Remove the shells with the tongs and transfer them to the paper towel-lined plate to cool.
When the shells are cool enough to touch, remove the molds and repeat with the remaining dough in batches until all shells have been fried.
Dip ends of cooled shells in melted chocolate if desired, and cool until dry. Fried shells can be stored in an airtight container for a few weeks.
Filling:
Place the drained ricotta and powdered sugar in a large, clean mixing bowl. Fold together gently with a rubber spatula until well combined. Add the zest and chips and fold until evenly distributed.
When ready to fill and serve the pastry, place the filling in a pastry bag without a tip and pipe into the shell. Repeat with the remaining shells.
Dip the pastry shell in chocolate chips, crushed pistachios, and sliced almonds if desired, and dust the finished cannoli with powdered sugar before serving.
Chocolate Orange Biscotti
Who doesn’t love biscotti? Alec finds this recipe relatively simple to prepare and delicious to eat!
Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted, coarsely chopped
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, chopped
Instructions
Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Using a stand mixer, beat sugar and butter to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then the liqueur and orange peel. Add flour mixture and beat until blended. Stir in pecans and 6 ounces of chocolate. Gather dough together and divide in half. Wrap in plastic and freeze for 20 minutes until firm.
Position rack in center of oven. Preheat to 350° F. Using floured hands, form each dough piece into 14-inch-long, 2½ inch-wide log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer parchment with logs to rack. Cool 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
Place 1 log on cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut log on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Stand slices upright on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining log.
Bake biscotti until dry to touch and pale golden, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
While the biscotti are cooling, melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle over the top.
Flavor variation: The pecans can be substituted with almonds or other nuts.
Additional flavor ideas:
Replace the orange liqueur with a different flavor.
Cut the amount of nuts in half and add raisins or other dried fruit, or omit the nuts entirely.
Omit the chocolate and replace with the flavoring of your choice. Use your imagination!
Panettone
Panettone is a lovely Italian Christmas bread that adds warmth and sweetness to any family holiday celebration. The recipe is more challenging and time-consuming than most but well worth the effort. Plan to start preparations a day ahead of time.
Alec had to practice several times to master this recipe, but now she’ll never go back to store-bought.
Ingredients
Dough:
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ cup warm water (110° F)
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, divided
6 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
¼ cup whole milk or cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon butter or stick margarine, melted
2 teaspoons sugar (erythritol can be substituted)
¼ cup chopped pecans
Paper panettone molds
Dried Fruit:
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
1/3 cup candied orange peel
Orange liqueur (or juice from oranges used to make candied orange peels)
Candied Orange Peel:
Oranges
Water
Sugar
Instructions
Candied Orange Peels:
Cut a little from the top and bottom of oranges, then score the skin into 4 verticals segments and peel (leave white pith). Cut skin into ¼-inch strips.
Combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, add orange peel. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat earlier if the water starts to evaporate too quickly.
Remove from heat and drain well. Let it cool for 15 minutes. Spread 2 cups of sugar over a large tray. Add orange peel and coat with sugar.
Orange peels can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Dried Fruit:
Place dried fruit in a bowl and cover with liqueur or orange juice. Let marinate for 1 hour, then drain fruit in a sieve over a bowl. Reserve juice and set aside with the fruit.
Dough:
To prepare dough, dissolve yeast and ¼ teaspoon sugar in warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Measure flour and next 6 ingredients (1/2 cup flour through egg yolk) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute or until smooth. Add yeast mixture and ½ cup flour; beat 1 minute. Stir in marinated fruit, candied orange peels, 2 ½ cups flour, and pecans. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes.) Add remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85° F), free from drafts for about 1½ hours.
Punch dough down and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide in half, shaping each into a ball. Place balls into paper panettone molds according to package instructions. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Uncover dough. Place loves on the bottom rack of the oven and bake at 375° F for 30 minutes or until browned and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove bread from oven and cool on a wire rack. Combine reserved 2 teaspoons liqueur or juice and 1 teaspoon butter. Brush over loaves and sprinkle evenly with sugar.
Berry Crostata
This is a delightful summertime dessert that’s easy to prepare. Grace enjoys picking the berries for Alec to use in this recipe.
Ingredients
For pastry crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons ice-cold milk (or water)
For berry filling:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top (about 1 to 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 large egg
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in 1 cup cold butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg yolk and 3 tablespoons milk; pour into flour mixture, stirring just until the dough s
tarts to form a ball. Press together with lightly floured hands, and form into a flat round. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Combine blueberries, raspberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
Remove dough from refrigerator; divide evenly into 8 pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into about 6-inch rounds; place on 2 lightly greased large baking sheets. Scoop 1/4 cup berry mixture into center of each round; top each with butter. Fold about 1 inch of dough over fruit all the way around to form a rim.
Combine egg and milk; brush outside of each tart with the egg wash. Sprinkle tarts with about 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake at 375° F for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Let cool on pan 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; let cool. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Italian Cream Cake
This is a delightful, succulent cake usually reserved for special occasions.
The Complete Arms of Grace Series Page 60
