Anchovy Bread

Bread-making is a homely ceremony that renews, energizes and nourishes. When I see a new and different bread recipe, I just couldn’t let go. Here I am making the Ruth Reichl’s anchovy bread, which comes from Italy’s Basilicata region. It’s a yeast bread rolled around a pungent mix of paprika, oregano, and anchovies. Ruth’s picture in My Kitchen Year of the bread of little pinwheels of color racing through the bread is so tempting. The fact that it’s a straight dough which can be finished in the same day is all the reason to bake it.

Besides the pantry staples, the shopping list according to Ruth consists of: dry yeast, pastry flour, semolina flour and fresh oregano. In my kitchen, there is only one thing I need — pastry flour. So I elected to use all-purpose flour instead of going shopping. My supply of semolina was running low. So I made the anchovy bread with 25% semolina and 75% all-purpose flour.

Due to higher gluten content of all-purpose flour, bulk and the second rise go much quicker than using pastry flour.

Rolling the dough out in a log can be messy. I got around the sticky dough by rolling it over a piece of parchment paper. That works. (I didn’t shape the log into a spiral.) Rest it for an hour. It’s ready for the oven. The loaf blooms and rises. Aroma intoxicating.

What happens when you couldn’t wait for the bread to cool?

Out of the oven, Ruth says to cool it completely before cutting into thin slices. Not me. Hot bread couldn’t sit — because I couldn’t wait. You can see the difference between the hot bread (picture on the right) and the cooled slices (above). What matters it we all enjoy this bread. Ruth warns the anchovy bread is not a good keeper. No worry. The bread disappears fast.

Mix the dough in the mixer until soft.

Roll up the flattened round dough into a log.

Rest the oiled and covered log for an hour.

Print Recipe

Anchovy Bread

Ingredients

• ¾ cup warm water, 90 – 100 degrees
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup pastry flour
• 1 cup semolina flour
• 3 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 6 anchovies, minced

Instructions

1

Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl and wait for it to foam, about 5 minutes. If it does not foam, discard and start with over with fresh yeast. Either the yeast is too old, or the water may be too hot. It should be tepid at 90-100 degrees. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

2

Whisk together the pastry flour, the semolina flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

3

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir the flour into the liquid until it comes together in a ball. Knead for up to 5 minutes on a floured surface, and then place in a well-oiled bowl.

4

Cover with a moist towel and set in a warm place to rise until it is doubled in size, about an hour. Tip: If you want to hurry things up, place the bowl inside another bowl filled with very warm water and cover it up.

5

Meanwhile, mix 1/3 cup of olive oil, the paprika, oregano, anchovies, and one teaspoon of salt and set aside until the dough has risen.

6

Roll the dough out into a 15 inch round, and spread all but 1 teaspoon of the anchovy mixture all over, leaving a one inch border.

7

Beginning with the side closest to you, roll the dough into a thin jelly roll, and pinch the edges closed. Starting at one end, curl the roll into a spiral (the sides can touch), and set onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

8

Brush the top with the remaining oil and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the bread to rise for one hour.

9

Bake for 35 minutes until crusty and golden. Remove to a rack and allow to cool completely. Cut into thin slices.

Notes

Adapted from http://ruthreichl.com/category/snacks-and-beginnings/