by Marc Vetri
Chocolate BREAD
I’m a chocolate freak. If there were no chocolate in this world, I would have no reason to live. So why not make bread with it? Whenever you need a midafternoon snack to go with espresso, here’s your bread. I also use this once in a while to make a dessert sort of like chocolate French toast. Try it. Just make traditional French toast, but use this bread. With a few fresh strawberries and syrup, it’s unbelievable.
MAKES ONE 12-INCH-DIAMETER ROUND LOAF
4½ cups (600 g) high-protein flour, such as King Arthur Sir Galahad or Unbleached All-Purpose
½ cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup (60 g) sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (21 g) packed fresh cake yeast, or 2¾ teaspoons (10 g) instant yeast
1 cup (220 g) cold water
3 tablespoons (60 g) honey
¼ cup (50 g) grapeseed or olive oil
8 egg yolks (16 g), lightly beaten
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt
5 ounces (140 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
⅔ cup (114 g) raisins
Put the flour, cocoa powder, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Crumble in the yeast. Mix with a spoon to combine. Add the water, honey, oil, and egg yolks and mix with the dough hook on low speed to moisten everything, about 4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough is stiff and clings to the dough hook, about 8 minutes. Add the salt, chocolate, and raisins and mix until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. You may have to knead the dough with your hands a little to get all the chocolate and raisins embedded into the dough.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl and turn it to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot (90°F) until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
Punch down the dough and shape into a ball. Put on a heavily floured rimless baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, remove all but the bottom rack in your oven and put a baking stone on the rack. Preheat the oven to 400°F for at least 30 minutes.
Slide the dough from the baking sheet onto the stone and immediately spritz the dough with a spray bottle of water until well coated, about 5 seconds. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, spritz the dough again, then bake until the bread is dark brown and crusty, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Fig and Chestnut BREAD
I’m always looking for new breads to serve with a cheese plate or salumi. I usually mix in some dried fruit, maybe some nuts. This is one of my favorite combinations, but feel free to swap out the figs for raisins, dates, dried apricots, or any other dried fruit. I usually slice the bread and warm it up a little in the oven or toast it on a grill.
MAKES ONE 10-INCH-DIAMETER ROUND LOAF
2 cups (280 g) high-protein flour, such as King Arthur Sir Galahad or Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) chestnut flour
2 teaspoons (6 g) packed fresh cake yeast, or ¾ teaspoon (3 g) instant yeast
1 cup (220 g) cold water
1 cup (287 g) Natural Sourdough Starter
1½ teaspoons (8 g) fine sea salt
4 to 5 dried figs (75 g), chopped
Put the high-protein flour, chestnut flour, water, and starter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Crumble in the yeast. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed to moisten everything, about 4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and clings to the dough hook, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the salt and figs and mix on medium speed until the figs are well incorporated. If some of the figs don’t play nice, flour your hands and push them into the dough with your fingers.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot (90°F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and shape into a ball. Put on a heavily floured rimless baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, remove all but the bottom rack in your oven and put a baking stone on the rack. Preheat the oven to 475°F for at least 30 minutes.
Slide the dough from the baking sheet onto the stone and immediately spritz the dough with a spray bottle of water until well coated, about 5 seconds. Bake until swollen and golden, about 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 400°F, spritz the dough again, and bake until the bread looks dark brown and crusty, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
For the best flavor, slice and lightly toast the bread before serving.
PREP AHEAD
The starter must be made 3 days ahead but then will keep for months—even years—if you feed it and keep it alive.
Brioche
I included a brioche recipe in my last book but I changed the recipe a little here. This one uses flour that’s more widely available and a little lower in protein to make a softer brioche. The method is a little easier, too, because you don’t have to fold the dough over as much. Sliced, toasted, and slathered with mostarda or marmalade, this brioche is hands-down my favorite bread to eat with cheese.
MAKES ONE 9 BY 5-INCH LOAF OR 13 BY 4-INCH PULLMAN LOAF
DOUGH
3 eggs (150 g), lightly beaten
2⅔ cups plus 1½ tablespoons (370 g) high-protein flour, such as King Arthur Sir Galahad or Unbleached All-Purpose
1½ tablespoons (13.5 g) packed fresh cake yeast, or 1¾ teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (15 g) sugar
⅓ cup (70 g) milk
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened
1½ teaspoons (8 g) fine sea salt
EGG WASH
2 tablespoons beaten egg (from above)
2 teaspoons milk
For the dough: Reserve 2 tablespoons of the beaten eggs. Put the high-protein flour, sugar, milk, and remaining beaten eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Crumble in the yeast. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until everything is moistened and a rough dough starts to form, about 3 minutes.
Add the butter a few pieces at a time, waiting until one addition is incorporated before adding the next. When all of the butter has been incorporated, switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook and add the salt. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough is very satiny and smooth, about 15 minutes.
Put the dough in a buttered bowl, turning to coat it with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot (90°F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, butter a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, or a 13 by 4-inch pullman (pain de mie) pan for small, square slices.
Punch down the dough and shape it into a rough rectangle long enough to fit comfortably into the loaf pan. Loosely roll the rectangle from one long side to the other to make a rounder log shape and place the log in the prepared pan, seam side down. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm spot (90°F) until the dough is light, puffy, and nearly doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Just before baking, make the egg wash: Whisk the reserved egg and the milk together and brush over the dough. Bake until golden brown and bulging from the top of the pan, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Romana Pizza Dough
Romana PIZZA DOUGH
I first learned how to make pizza in 1991 when I was working for Wolfgang Puck at Granita. But it wasn’t until 1997, when I met Matteo Puppilo at Bella Blu in New York City, that I really developed a love for pizza. He taught me with such passion about the dough and how crucial it is to great pizza. This is the thin-crust dough that Matteo taught me, and it remains the basic dough that I use for most of my pizzas. If you like a thicker, chewier dough, check out the Napoletana recipe. Oh, and by the way, this recipe makes enough for 6 or 7 pizzas, so you can freeze the extra dough and have
it ready at a moment’s notice.
MAKES SIX OR SEVEN 12-INCH-DIAMETER ROUNDS
6 cups (750 g) high-protein flour, such as King Arthur Sir Galahad or Unbleached All-Purpose
2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
2¾ teaspoons (8 g) packed fresh cake yeast, or 1 teaspoon (3.5 g) instant yeast
1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (355 g) cold water
¼ cup (60 g) extra-virgin olive oil
2½ teaspoons (15 g) fine sea salt
Put the flour, sugar, water, and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer. Crumble in the yeast. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until everything is moist, about 4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough clings to the dough hook, about 4 minutes more. Add the salt and mix until the dough is very soft and stretchy, another 3 minutes.
Cut the dough into 6 or 7 equal pieces and roll into balls (about the size of a softball) on an unfloured board. Scatter on a little flour, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
To roll out each ball of dough, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. It will stretch more easily when it’s warm. Flatten the ball on a floured work surface, then hold the disk in your hands in the air and circle your fingers around the edge, pinching gently around the edge to make a border. It’s easier to start stretching pizza dough in the air instead of on a work surface, because in the air gravity will pull down the dough, stretching it from where it’s held in your fingers. Once it’s stretched to about 8 inches in diameter, place the dough on the floured work surface and pat it out with your fingertips, from the center toward the edge, to fully stretch the round of dough. Gently push your palms into the center of the dough to gently stretch it away toward the edges. Pat and stretch to a round about 12 inches in diameter and ⅛ inch to ¼ inch thick. Top and bake as you like.
PREP AHEAD
Cover and refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw and bring to room temperature before rolling out.
Napoletana PIZZA DOUGH
Naples dough is a little thicker than the pizza dough in Rome. It puffs up a little more and has a thicker rim. It’s also made with a bread starter, but no oil and no sugar. It’s more old-school. Chewier. I also use more dough per pizza to make it taste a little doughier. Learning this dough was a love affair. (It took me years to get it right.) You don’t just get a recipe for this, then make thick-crust pizza. You need to nurture the dough. You need to get your hands into it and understand how thick the crust should be. I explain everything in the recipe below, but these details are why pizzaiolos are so admired around the world. In making a perfect crust, the ingredients are simple, but how you treat them is the most important thing.
MAKES FOUR OR FIVE 12-INCH-DIAMETER ROUNDS
4 cups (500 g) high-protein flour, such as King Arthur Sir Galahad or Unbleached All-Purpose
2⅛ cups (500 g) Biga Starter
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons (200 g) cold water
½ teaspoon (1 g) packed fresh cake yeast, or ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 g) instant yeast
2½ teaspoons (15 g) fine sea salt
Put the flour, starter, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Crumble in the yeast. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until everything is moist, about 4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough clings to the dough hook, about 3 minutes more. Add the salt and mix until the dough is very soft and stretchy, another 3 minutes.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot (90°F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Cut the dough into 4 or 5 equal pieces and roll into balls (about the size of a small cantaloupe) on an unfloured board. Put the balls in an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
To roll out each ball of dough, remove the dough from the refrigerator about 1 hour before using. It will stretch more easily when it’s warm. Flatten the ball on a floured work surface, then hold the disk in your hands in the air and circle your fingers around the edge, pinching gently around the edge to make a border. It’s easier to start stretching pizza dough in the air instead of on a work surface, because in the air gravity will pull down the dough, stretching it from where it’s held in your fingers. Once it’s stretched to about 8 inches in diameter, put the dough on the counter and pat it out with your fingertips from the center toward the edge to fully stretch the round of dough. Gently push your palms into the center of the dough to gently stretch it away toward to the edges. Pat and stretch to a round about 12 inches in diameter and a little more than a ¼ inch thick, with a thicker rim. Top and bake as you like.
PREP AHEAD
Cover and refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw and bring to room temperature before rolling out.
Think Outside the Wine Bottle
You will notice beverage pairings with the recipes throughout this book. I have been very careful to use the words beverage and drink here. It has become commonplace to think in terms of food and wine pairings. However, with all of the drink options available, wine alone can be extremely limiting for certain meals. The craft-brew movement has taken Italy by storm over the past decade and brought with it a fresh outlook on what to drink with what you eat. Plus, some people don’t drink alcohol, yet they still want a beverage that helps them experience the full flavors of a meal.
I take a broad approach to beverage pairings, including wine, beer, specialty sodas, flavored teas, and fresh juices. Feel free to experiment with what you have around the house. Use what’s available to you. If you think a certain wine works well because of the berry flavor it imparts, try other beverages that provide a similar flavor. What you drink with the dishes throughout this book is, of course, up to your personal preference. The pizzas are a case in point. How often do you swing by a pizzeria and just grab a soda with a slice? There’s no need to limit yourself to wine. Something similar to American soda, like Italian Chinotto, will work equally well with pizza.
The same goes for desserts. I would hesitate to serve wine with Waffles with Nutella and Semifreddo, but a ginger beer float would be great—not to mention fun. The bottom line is that the drinks should enhance the meal. The ideal meal is one where you can relax and enjoy the company of those you’ve chosen to dine with. Stressing over the nuances of what you drink defeats the purpose. Loosen up and have fun with it!
Margherita Pizza
Margherita PIZZA
Whenever I eat at a pizzeria, I always order the Margherita. It’s the perfect combination: crust, sauce, and cheese. Nothing else. Maybe some fresh basil leaves if you have them. There are some combinations that you don’t mess with, and this is one of them. Because the pizza toppings are so simple, I like to use a thinner, crispier Romana pizza dough. And it goes without saying that ingredients really matter here. There are only three in the topping. Make sure each ingredient is the best quality you can find.
MAKES ONE 12-INCH PIZZA
1 round Romana Pizza Dough
About ⅔ cup Pizza Sauce
2 slices fresh mozzarella, each about ½ inch thick
4 or 5 small fresh basil leaves
Remove all but the bottom rack in your oven and put a baking stone on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500°F for at least 30 minutes. If you have convection, turn it on to help brown and blister the top of the pizza.
Place the dough round on a well-floured rimless baking sheet. Ladle the sauce into the center of the dough round, then spread from the center to the edges by moving the ladle in widening concentric circles. Break each slice of mozzarella into 2 pieces and scatter them over the sauce.
Slide the pizza off the baking sheet onto the hot stone and bake until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board and immediately scatter on the basil
leaves. Cut into slices to serve.
The PIZZA
Skip the mozzarella and basil. Instead, top the sauce with ½ cup grated Bitto cheese (or Italian fontina in a pinch), ½ cup cubed fresh mozzarella, and ⅓ cup crumbled cotechino sausage (or another cooked Italian sausage in a pinch). Crack an egg into the center of the pizza and bake. When the pizza is crisp, remove and scatter on ½ teaspoon mixed chopped fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, and thyme.
PARMA PIZZA
Skip all the other toppings. Instead, scatter on ½ cup cubed fresh mozzarella and ½ cup cubed fontina cheese. Bake until crisp. Mix together 2 cups arugula, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. When the pizza comes out of the oven, put the arugula mixture on top and garnish with 4 thin slices of prosciutto.
TONNO
Skip the basil. Instead, spread on the pizza sauce and mozzarella as directed, then scatter on some dried oregano, 2 thin slices Vidalia onion broken into rings, and ⅓ cup flaked Sicilian canned tuna.
ZUCCA
Skip all the other toppings. Instead, soak 2 tablespoons raisins in Marsala wine for 2 hours. Drain the raisins and mix them with 2 teaspoons pine nuts, a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, a spritz of sherry vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread a thin layer of Squash Crema over the dough. Top with ½ cup cubed fresh mozzarella and 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Bake until crisp. When the pizza comes out of the oven, scatter on the raisin mixture.
