Prosciutto Cheese Bread

By dunn1412

Ingredients

• 1 package (2 and 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus up to 1/2 cup more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, herbes de provence, or other dried herb blend (optional)
• 1/2 cup prosciutto, diced
• 1/3 cup provolone, diced
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (parmigiano reggiano, if you can get it), grated
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water, to glaze (optional)

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 150mins
Cooking time 180mins
Adapted from devour-blog.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm water and sugar. Let sit until bubbly, about 5-8 minutes. Add oil, 2 cups of flour, the salt, pepper and herbs and mix until a dough begins to come together. Knead either by hand or with a dough hook on your mixer for about 10 minutes until smooth. If the dough is sticky, add up to ½ cup more flour as needed. Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in volume, about 1 and ½ hours.

Punch down dough. Oil a baking sheet and flatten the dough onto the sheet with your hands into a large oval. Spread the prosciutto, provolone and parmesan evenly over top. Roll the dough into a log, then form into a large circular ring, sealing the ends together well. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If you wish, beat 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the mixture on top of the ring to give your finished bread a shiny glaze. Bake bread for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top & bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Best served warm. Will keep covered at room temperature for a day or two, but I suggest warming the slices before eating them because melted cheese.