Neapolitan Easter Bread

Il casatiello napoletano

This is a very traditional Easter bread from Naples. I need to thank my mother in law for this recipe. She told me that there are different versions but all more or less made with whatever you have in the fridge. For example you could sub salame with ham or the scamorza cheese with another type. But the important ingredient is lard. Trust me, it's the most amazing bread you'll ever eat! It takes time but it's so worth it. Eat on Easter Sunday and Monday. Take the egg out, shell it, and eat with the bread as a starter. You can also freeze it. Ingredients:

1. 600 g plain flour

2. 15 g active yeast

3. 200 g lard

4. 300 ml water at room temperature

5. 200 g salame - chopped

6. 300 g scamorza cheese - chopped

7. 50 g Parmesan

8. 50 g Pecorino

9. 4 eggs + 1 egg yolk

10. Lots of black pepper

11. Teaspoon salt (don't over do it as the other ingredients are salty)

12. 24 cm round baking tray and a ramekin to make the shape

Method:

1. Mix yeast in the water and leave for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Add flour to a large bowl. Slowly add about half of the water and bring together to start to form your dough.

3. Now add 50 g of the lard, pinch of salt and a generous amount of pepper.

4. Continue adding the rest of the water while bringing together and forming a dough.

5. Knead well. Cover with cling film and leave to prove for an hour.

6. Put the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin, into a rectangle shape about 1 cm thick.

7. Spread a tablespoon (about 20-30g) of lard on top, use a spatula or your hands.

8. Sprinkle with more black pepper and add about a third of the Parmesan and Pecorino.

9. Now fold up lengthwise into a long sausage shape. Then fold in half so you have a square shape.

10. Repeat steps 6,7 and 8 until lard, Parmesan and Pecorino are all used up.

11. Then roll out for final time using parchment paper into a rectangle, about 40cm long and about 1 cm thick.

12. Cut a tiny piece of dough off each end so that it has a straight edge. Wrap in clingfilm and set a side. You'll need this later.

13. Add the chopped salame and chopped scamorza cheese all over the top.

14. Roll up like a sausage so that the salame and cheese are wrapped inside the dough.

15. Get a 24cm round baking tray and a ramekin. Place the ramekin in the centre so that it'll help your dough to take the shape of a doughnut. Grease everything well.

16. Carefully lift the dough and put it inside around the ramekin, so you have a doughnut shape. Squish it down gently to take the shape of the doughnut.

17. Cover with cling film and leave to prove for at least 3 hours or overnight, I leave it overnight because the flavours mix better.

18. The next day, wash and dry 4 eggs, raw, not boiled.

19. Place inside as shown in the main picture.

20. Take the tiny piece of saved dough and create a cross over each egg.

21. Take the yolk of the 5th egg, beat it and glaze all over.

22. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 1 hour. Test it's cooked using a toothpick.