Best Zesty Italian Peasant Bread Appetizer Recipes

ITALIAN BREAD APPETIZER

Steps:

• In a small saucepan cook oil and garlic together over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly, 2 to 3 minutes, until garlic is golden and fragrant. Discard garlic and set aside saucepan of garlic-flavored oil.
• On lightly floured surface stretch and roll dough into 12" square; place on lightly greased baking sheet and brush with reserved garlic-flavored oil. Sprinkle evenly with salami and cheese. Arrange roasted peppers and green onions down center of dough, leaving a 1" border at each end and a 3" border on each side.
• Use a knife or scissors to make eight 3" cuts into dough along both sides of the filling. Bring dough strips up across filling at an angle, alternating sides to give a braided effect. Pinch dough at bottom and top to seal in filling.
• Brush braid with egg mixture; sprinkle evenly with poppy seeds. Set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free location 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy. (If you're using wheat bread, rising time may be longer.).
• Heat oven to 350°F Bake 35 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove bread from baking sheet and cool 5 minutes on wire rack. Cut into 16 slices and serve warm or at room temperature.

ZESTY ITALIAN PEASANT BREAD APPETIZER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place bread shell on lightly greased baking sheet.
• Mix together oil, garlic and pepper.
• Brush over bread shell.
• Sprinkle with tomato, cheese and snipped fresh or crushed dried herb.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or till warm and cheese softens "slightly".
• Cut bread into 12 wedges.
• If desired garnish with fresh herb sprigs.
• Serve hot.

PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl whisk the flours and the salt. Set aside.
• Grease a separate large bowl with butter or olive oil and set this aside. (This bowl will be used for the dough's initial rise).
• In a standing-mixer's bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top. (If you'd like . at this point . to ensure the yeast is active . you could let the mix stand for 10-15 minutes . or until it's foamy and/or bubbling just a bit. I typically don't).
• Add the flours and salt.
• Mix (**Note: The original recipe outlines stirring with a wooden spoon, which works . but I like to use my mixer with the dough hook and let it go for 4 or 5 minutes on medium speed) Note: the dough will be on the wet side. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl from the preparation step.
• Cover bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour . or until it's about doubled in size.
• ** Typically, dough at our house takes 3 or 4 hours to double . point being . don't sweat the exact time.
• Grease 2 oven-safe bowls with about a Tbsp of butter each.
• Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
• Punch down your dough . and divide it into 2 equal parts. One by one . place each half on a floured counter-top. Quickly form a ball with each part & transfer them to your prepared bowls.
• At this point . the original recipe calls for letting the dough rise until it's doubled again in size . and this certainly works. I've taken to putting the dough into the fridge overnight for its second rise. There's something that happens to dough when it ferments for a long period of time in a cool environment.
• Pre-heat oven to 425.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Reduce the heat to 375º and bake for 18-19 minutes longer. Remove from the oven . letting the loaves sit for 5-10 minutes before turning them over onto cooling racks.
• If the bowls have been greased well . the loaves should easily fall out out onto the cooling racks.
• You'll have to gauge it based on taste . I cook the loaves on the lower end of the time the original calls for because we like them pale & soft. If that's not for you . they can always be placed back into the oven (outside their bowls) and baked for about 5 minutes longer.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

ITALIAN PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Blend in rest of ingredients except butter.
• Shape into one large round loaf. Place on a greased cooking sheet and let rise until doubled. Brush with melted butter.
• Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 25 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

ITALIAN PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Ingredients 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 2 cups water (lukewarm, 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit) 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2. Directions 1. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Blend in rest of ingredients except butter. 2. Shape into one large round loaf. Place on a greased cooking sheet and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Brush with melted butter. 3. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 25 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

ITALIAN PEASANT BREAD FOR BREAD MACHINE

Steps:

• Place ingredients, according to manufacturer's directions into your bread machine.
• (some call for all liquids, or all dry ingredients first, so know your machine) Set machine to "dough cycle" and wait. (This takes most machines about an hour and a half for a full cycle).
• Remove from machine when cycle is complete and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Shape dough by hand, into a rectangular mound, spreading kind of thin, maybe an inch or two of thickness.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. (This is a good time to go ahead and turn the oven on to preheat and help warm the kitchen).
• Brush with a little olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and salt if desired. (This is the way its done at Macaroni Grill).
• Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden and crispy. Bread is meant to be a flatter shape and not a high rising bread.
• Have everyone tear their pieces of bread with their hands,and serve with olive oil flavored with fresh ground pepper.