thefoodlessprocessed

“Seating themselves on the greensward, they eat while the corks fly and there is talk, laughter and merriment, and perfect freedom, for the universe is their drawing-room and the sun their lamp.” (Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin from The Physiology of Taste (1825).

With chorizo, prosciutto and Emmentaler baked into the bread itself, these rolls may be eaten ‘as-is’. Cornichons and French whole grain mustard would be nice additions to them on a picnic menu.

Because this is a soft, wet dough, hard wheat white flour (the standard variety in America) is easier to form into rounds that will not spread out as they bake. Similarly, what in the UK is usually labelled ‘strong white bread flour’ will also make rolls that retain their shape as they bake.

Made with European all-purpose soft wheat flour, the rolls require less water to form the dough. The recipe instructions below describe the consistency of the dough and how to add the water.

The less-processed choices for ingredients are: Emmentaler AOP, Spanish Picante Chorizo, Italian Prosciutto di Parma PDO, White Flour, Water, Butter, and Fresh Rosemary.

Equipment

• a Digital Scale
• a Cutting Board and Knife
• a Heavy-Bottomed Pan, such as a 12-inch (30 cm) Cast Iron Skillet
• a Plate lined with paper toweling
• a Standing Mixer and Paddle Attachment or alternatively, form the dough in a Large Bowl, mixing it by hand with a Wooden Spoon
• a 1/2 cup Dry Measuring Cup or a Ladle or Spoon that will hold about 130 g
• a Parchment-lined Baking Sheet
• a piece of Parchment Paper, buttered on one side, to cover the rolls lightly, without sticking, as they rise

Ingredients (for 6 large rolls)

• 85 g of Imported Spanish Picante Chorizo, cut into small cubes
• Imported Italian Prosciutto di Parma PDO, roughly chopped
• 115g of Imported Swiss Emmentaler AOP, cut into small cubes
• 244 g of Organic Unenriched All-Purpose Hard Wheat White Flour (aka Strong Bread Flour in the UK). See the introduction above for remarks on using hard wheat versus soft wheat flour in this recipe.
• 1/2 Tablespoon of SAF Instant Yeast
• 1 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
• 85 g of European-Style Unsalted Butter
• 240 ml of Bottled Spring Water (about 1 cup). A little more or less may be required depending on the flour that is used. The water is added in increments as the dough is mixed.
• 1 Tablespoon of Organic Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Sautéing the Chorizo and Prosciutto

• Heat the dry pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo cubes and sauté them until they begin to release fat. Add the chopped prosciutto and continue to sauté the mixture until the prosciutto begins to crisp around the edges.
• Transfer the chorizo and prosciutto to a plate lined with paper toweling to drain and cool.

Mixing the Dough

• Add the flour, yeast and black pepper to the mixing bowl. Add the butter, cut into pieces, to the flour.
• Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until it is combined well and feels like coarse cornmeal.
• Add the cooled chorizo and proscciutto and the cubes of cheese. Stir everything to mix evenly into the flour.
• Using the paddle attachment, gradually add the water until the mixture is sticky but holds together when scooped up into a measuring cup or ladle. Alternatively, mix the water in by hand with a wooden spoon. The dough resembles a stiff muffin batter. A dough made with soft wheat flour probably will require less water than one made with hard wheat (or strong bread) flour.
• With a measuring cup, a ladle, or a large spoon, scoop out balls of dough onto the baking sheet, leaving space between the balls to allow room for them to rise.
• Sprinkle them with the chopped rosemary.

• Cover the rolls lightly with a sheet of buttered parchment and leave them to rise until about double in size–for approximately 1 hour.

Baking the Rolls

Gas or Convection Oven:  thefoodlessprocessed uses a gas oven. The conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius do not attempt to adjust for differences between baking in a gas or convection oven. I have no experience using a convection oven, and leave adjustments to the better judgement of you who do have.

• Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C) and set the rack to the middle position in the oven.
• Bake the rolls until golden brown–for approximately 25 minutes.
• Wrapping the rolls individually in aluminum foil and then placing them in a couple of polyethylene bags sealed with twist ties will help keep them fresh for travel.