A good stuffed bread perfect to bring to the table for the holidays and beyond, soft and with a truly special taste. Recently I often bake bread at home, and every time I like to vary. Last time I pleased my husband by stuffing it with olives. Then, caught up in enthusiasm, my niece asked if I could make it with walnuts. So I pleased everyone, but this time I wanted to please myself, I craved rustic and flavorful bread, so I thought of using the ingredients I love most, Calabrese salami and cheese. I used sheep’s milk cheese made by mom last time, which I adore, and another time the spicy provolone which I’ve always loved, plus some Leccino olives that I adore, and in the end here is my stuffed bread, perfect to enjoy every day of the year, but also great for our buffets or for holidays.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 baguettes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Stuffed Bread
- 12 oz all-purpose flour or type 0 flour (0 for longer rising times)
- 5 oz Perciasacchi durum wheat semolina
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
- 2 tsp salt
- flour for working
- 1 3/4 tsp fresh brewer's yeast
- 3 1/2 oz spicy provolone
- 3 1/2 oz Calabrese salami (sopressata)
- 3 1/2 oz pitted olives like Leccino or Taggiasca
Tools for Making Stuffed Bread
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Kneading board
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Fork
- 1 Dough scraper
Steps for Preparing Stuffed Bread for the Holidays
In a large bowl, work the yeast with water, dissolve and add all-purpose flour, and mix with a fork to get a nice elastic dough. Take a short break.
Add the salt to the dough, mix, and take another break.
Prepare the necessary ingredients for the filling, dice the salami and provolone, use the olives whole since they are not large, but if they are too large, chop them.
Add oil to the dough and mix, then all the filling ingredients, salami, cheese and olives, and mix again with the fork.
Now add the last ingredient, the semolina, mix with the fork as long as possible, then finish by hand, kneading the dough well. Form a dough ball and let it rise in the bowl covered with plastic wrap, about 3-4 hours at a temperature of 79-82°F. If it’s colder, the times will be longer. To keep the temperature constant, even in winter, we can put it in the oven with a bowl of boiling water, which we will occasionally replace.
Take the risen dough, divide it into 4 pieces, and stretch each one to form a baguette, working on a lightly floured surface.
Transfer to the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let rise for another hour in the oven with the light on and a cup of boiling water.
When the baguettes are well risen, bake in a preheated fan oven at 482°F for about 18-20 minutes, when the bread is golden, we can lower the temperature to 392°F.
You can take the bread out of the oven as soon as it’s ready and enjoy it either hot or cold, it’s really delicious.
Stuffed bread can also be prepared the day before, with a slower rise at a lower temperature, so it can be baked the next day. It can also be prepared and frozen, to have it ready when needed, it just needs to be thawed, even quickly in the oven.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can it be made in advance?
Yes, it can also be prepared the day before, and it keeps well for 2-3 days well sealed. You can also quickly heat it before serving if desired.
Can it be filled with other cheeses and cold cuts?
Sure, it can be filled with the salami from your area and you can use the type of cheese you like best.
Can the olives be omitted?
Of course, if you don’t like olives, you can leave them out, or perhaps replace them with walnuts or raisins if you like.
Can the flours be substituted?
Sure, but you will need to adjust the rising time according to the type of flour used, as stronger flours require longer rising times.
