Torta di Testo di Prosciutti e Formaggio

I love bread and I love to make bread too. I can easily make bread a meal all by itself, and have done so on many occasions. But usually I don’t eat just bread alone, not any more at least, since we all know, man cannot survive on bread alone. I usually serve bread on the side. We eat it most nights. And I love having fresh baked, warm bread with soup too.

When I made my creamy pumpkin and turkey soup, Creamy Pumpkin and Turkey Soup I was also making some Italian bread with prosciutto and Swiss cheese, also known as torta di testo di prosciutti e formaggio. It is even stated in the recipe notes how this delicious bread goes very well with soup. It’s like they knew I would serve it with soup. 🙂 Had I read the directions before making it though, I would have known I needed to start the bread making process much earlier than I did in order to have it it with our first round of soup. We enjoyed it the next day and then again while enjoying our soup leftovers.

Torta di Testo di Proscuitti e Formaggio

This bread takes about 5-6 hours to make from start to finish. It is a labor of love, but definitely worth every minute put into it. It is not difficult to make, it is just time consuming.

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1/3 cup +2 TBSP warm water

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup softened butter

4 eggs, beaten

5 oz prosciutto, chopped

5 oz Swiss or Emmental cheese, diced

olive oil

Mix the yeast and water together and let dissolve.

Mix the flour, salt and butter together until it resembles coarse sand.

Add the cheese and prosciutto to the flour mixture and mix well.

Mix the eggs with the yeast mixture. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then add the eggs and yeast and work in to the flour, from the inside out, until it is all mixed together and you have a soft, sticky dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is silky and elastic. Then put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise for about 2 hours.

Punch the dough and let rest for an additional 10 minutes, then shape it into a round loaf. Lightly oil a baking pan and place the dough on the oiled pan to let proof for another hour. I used chili olive oil, for just a little extra pizzazz, but olive oil is perfectly fine.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350*F or 180*C. Then bake for 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown. Allow it to cool before slicing.

This bread is delicious no matter what, but I think it is best when served warm or hot, smeared with butter. 🙂

Whenever I make a meal of soup and bread, I always think of my picture that hangs in my kitchen. It hung in my kitchen all while growing up and now it proudly hangs in my own kitchen too. In fact, it will always hang in my kitchen, no matter where my kitchen happens to be. I just love this picture.

Sorry for the glare. It is what it is.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.