Fare la scarpetta

The aroma of freshly made coffee, beautifully baked bread or a summer basil plant, a comforting and inviting aroma that holds our attention in a similar way to a freshly cut lawn or a romantically lit living room wood fire. The smells and aromas of instant comfort, release memories and a euphoric glow of happiness. We all have that favourite aroma.

These cost nothing but a simple task with patience being a certainty. A few ingredients can make the most filling of meals and when it comes to fresh bread my family are always happy and willing to partake in the eating! A wedge forms the perfect base for my dippy poached eggs, being made into delicious panino or dipped into a winter warming stew or soup. When in an Italian household this action of dipping bread into a sauce is called ‘Fare la scarpetta’. It’s honestly the best part of the day, the only issue is, when you start dipping, you immediately lose all self-control.

Bread can not only add purpose but also complete the most ideal meal. If you have some stale bread, simply bake and blitz it into breadcrumbs, pan fry, season, and top your finished dishes for added flavour and texture. This pan-fried breadcrumb is referred to as pangrattato which is also known as the poor man’s Parmesan. When purse strings were tight and an aged cheese couldn’t be purchased, breadcrumbs were substituted. With bread in an Italian home there is always something to eat as it is so incredibly versatile, filling, and downright scrumptious. In these tight financial

measures that we are currently facing, I find myself complete echoing the beginning of my teachings by cooking totally cucina povera, peasant or simple style cooking.

Now I am no master baker, but I do dabble a little and so here is one of my simple recipes taken from my first Italian cookery book ‘Southern Italian family Cooking’. This recipe is suitable for anyone to have a go at. This recipe can also be adapted, and the dough formed into 6 round rolls, prove as below or you could make double the recipe and freeze a loaf, so by prepping in advance you will never be short of a crust or two. For added flavour add a few chopped olives into the dough for added texture and bite

Make a panino, toast the bread as a base for a bruschetta style topping or simple did the bread in your Sunday sauce.

Buon appetito.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bread, Fare la scarpetta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 2 30

Equipment

Preheat Oven: 190°C / Gas 5

Ingredients

300 gm Strong white flour
150 gm 00 Flour plus extra for dusting
6 gm Salt
1 tsp Fennel seeds crushed
290 ml Tepid water
7 gm Dried Yeast
20 gm Butter melted

Instructions

Pour both flours into a large bowl and sprinkle in the salt.
Crush the fennel seeds using a pestle and mortar. This will add texture to the bread by varying the size of the fennel seeds.
Add the yeast to the tepid water and stir, this will wake up the yeast.
Sprinkle the fennel seeds into the flour (retain a few seeds for the topping) and stir to combine. Slowly pour in the yeasted water and melted butter.
Using your fingertips, work the flour and water together until you have the start of a dough. Once combined tumble the dough out onto a lightly floured board.
Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes and form the dough into a ball.
Place the dough into a clean oiled bowl and cover, allow the dough to prove for 1 hour 30 minutes in a warm place away from draughts.
After the first prove, tip your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knock back the dough and form into an oval. Cover and prove for a further hour.
Preheat the oven.
Place the dough onto an oiled baking tray, slash the top confidentially with a sharp knife and sprinkle over the remaining fennel seeds.
Bake for 30 minutes until golden and sounds hollow when its bottom is tapped.