Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Prosciutto Ring


The case of the missing lard.
First clue should have been when my daughter called me 
from the deli asking how much prosciutto, soppressata, pepperoni 
should she buy?
What are you talking about? 
It's just 3 oz of procuitto.
She was adamant there was soppressata
and more than 3 oz..
 I had no clue what she was talking about.
We were beginning to wonder which of us lost our 
marbles in this west coast heat wave.


As a vegetarian, I really couldn't get around the lard.
Flicking out pieces of prosciutto was one thing, but
bread with lard as a main component?  No.
What the heck,  I'll follow the recipe and
just not have any.
That made me a little sad.


Off to the market to buy a fat pig packet of lard
there was none to be found in the very large Hispanic food isle.
Melting my way back home in the forecast 110 degree temperature,
I made an instant decision.
I would substitute olive oil.
How much lard was that exactly?
There was no lard listed.
Good heavens!
Another long distance phone call to go over the ingredients.
They definitely did not match.

This was fate! 
The Baking Fairy had waved a magic wand
and given me a rogue copy of  The Bread Bible.
I didn't need to substitute anything but then 
I thought the texture would be too dry
and added two tablespoons of olive oil.


The texture is soft and fluffy.
The flavor delectable
with just a hint of olive oil in the background..
So like Hansel and Gretel,
I leave a trail of prosciutto bits, this time.
Next time procuitto on the side..  This is really good bread.
I love pan roasted peppercorns and
this bread showcases the cracked pepper perfectly.
I'm sure peppery deli beef would substitute well for
those that do not eat pork with any oil for softness.
It's really a great recipe and should not leave anyone behind.



5 comments:

  1. Looks beautiful and soft even with lard and with olive oil! Maybe I'll try using coconut oil! :D

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  2. Really good post, I'm not vegan or vegetarian anymore as I do eat fish… lol, but it's been a long road since the last slice of salami. I do agree this is a great recipe, your loaf looks so moist, fluffy and light.

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  3. Just remember.. Never EVER google what's inside sopressata :( Some things cannot be unseen.

    Let me tell you, the ladies at the deli counter were hard pressed not to laugh as I was calling you on my cellphone.

    Love the photos this month - hope Dada and the others enjoyed it! I think yours came out way fluffier than mine

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  4. Haha I love the Hansel and Gretel trail of meat. Bravo for trying it anyway. Hope it cools down for you soon.

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  5. Hi Vicki: GREAT blog post! I know what you mean about the lard...I did brave it, but it was with great trepidation, followed by appreciation. It really did taste great, I have to admit it! You are hilarious! Happy baking!!

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