Bread / Rolls

INGREDIENTS
 Bread Dough:
• 8 heaping cups of all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• Pinch of sugar
• 3 packages of yeast
• 3 cups very warm water (not hot)

DIRECTIONS
Combine the 3 packages of yeast and sugar into the 3 cups of very warm water 
and set aside for a few minutes to proof.
In a mixer with the dough hook attachment, or a large bowl, 
combine the flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Mix well. 
You may need to add a little more water if the mixture is too dry. 
Place the dough in a very large bowl with a lid, if you have one, but don't seal it...
or you can cover it with a cloth.  Put the bowl into a new garbage bag 
and tie the bag.  Let the dough rise for 2 hours. 

Once the dough has risen, knead it with additional flour until smooth. 
Form it into loaves or rolls and place on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. 
Cover with a towel and let rise for an additional 1-2 hours.

After second rise, bake loaves at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.  Rolls will bake for only about 18-20 minutes.
Watch Mariola prepare this in Episode 2  of "Mariola's Italian Kitchen" video series. 

Oven Stone Fornarina
​(Thin Crispy Dough)

INGREDIENTS
• 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
• Pinch sugar 
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 ¾ to 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

​DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. 
Pour yeast mixture over flour and mix well with hands.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Place a pizza stone in the cold oven
and heat the pizza stone for 15 minutes.

Place dough on a floured board, knead well for a few minutes. 
Dough should be not sticking to your hands, if sticky add more flour.
(Corn meal can be used to coat the stone.)
Divide the dough into two equal balls, roll one at a time - 
leaving the other covered with a cloth until you roll it.
Roll out thin either on flour or corn meal about 10 to 12 inches round. 
Either with a pizza paddle or gently and carefully with your hands, place dough on pizza stone 
(If you use your hands, you will need to carefully pull out the oven rack, 
do not remove the stone from oven.)
Drizzle dough with olive oil, lightly sprinkle with salt, add rosemary leaves, 
return oven rack in place. 
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. 
Cooking time options:
15 minutes will make your dough golden and crispy.
10 minutes -  dough will be more moist.

Note: this dough can also be used for making individual pizzas, 
just add your favorite toppings and follow the same instructions.

Piada (Italian Flatbread)

​INGREDIENTS
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2-3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 cup shortening
• Splash of olive oil
• 2 1/4 cups milk

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together. The dough should not be sticky, add flour if sticky.

Make balls the size of the palm of your hands, as if you're holding a tennis ball. Roll and smooth into a perfect ball.  Set in a deep bowl and  continue this process until you use all the dough. You will get approx.12 or 13 balls. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. When ready to cook, place a smooth flat grill on the stove between medium to high heat...the grill must be very hot. Roll out each ball even, round and flat.
​Cook on grill until golden on both sides. Repeat process for each ball.

*Note you may have to adjust your heat higher or lower...you will see with the first piada you cook!

Piada Panino:
To make a Piada Panino (sandwich), just add your favorite lunch meats, cheeses and seasonings/condiments!  
I love a little Mortadella and Brie on mine!
Watch Mariola prepare this in Episode 12  of "Mariola's Italian Kitchen" video series. 

Piada Sfogliata
(Croissant-Style Piada)

INGREDIENTS
• 5 cups flour 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 heaping tablespoons crisco 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (plus extra) milk

​DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients starting with 1 cup of milk. Gradually add more milk 
until dough comes together - (small amounts at a time) - should NOT be 
sticky, should be firm but soft. Split dough into two balls, 
wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 90 minutes.

Remove 1 ball. With a rolling pin, roll out dough a little larger than the 
size of a large pizza. With your hand rub a thin layer of Crisco on the 
entire rolled out dough. Starting with the end near you, start rolling the 
dough into a log. Cut 2-inch pieces all the way across the log. 
Pick up and pinch the ends of dough to close the cut edges. Place all the pieces 
in a large bowl. Remove the other ball of dough from the refrigerator and 
follow the same steps.

Once you’ve rolled out both doughs and formed your balls, place in the bowl, 
refrigerate for another 90 minutes.

Warm a pancake grill/griddle on the stove.
Allow it to get very hot but keep the heat at medium heat.
Prepare a bowl with vegetable oil in it. Dip a ball of dough into the oil. 
Roll out until dough is paper thin. Gently pick it up and place on the griddle.
Cook on both sides until crispy brown. Place on a clean cloth to cool.
Repeat this process until you’ve rolled out all the balls.
Allow to cool completely. Eat fresh or place in plastic bags and freeze.

To warm, heat up the pancake griddle and warm both sides.
This makes an excellent bread for a great sandwich, especially with fresh
mortadella! Yum!
Enjoy!

Pizza Dough and Sauce

PIZZA DOUGH:
INGREDIENTS
• 4 heaping cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1 ½ cups very warm water (not hot)

DIRECTIONS
Combine the yeast and sugar into the very warm water and set aside 
for a few minutes to proof. In a mixer with the dough hook attachment, 
or a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Mix well. 
You may need to add a little more water if the mixture is too dry. 
Place the dough in a very large bowl with a lid, if you have one, but don't seal it...or you can cover it with a cloth. Put the bowl into a new garbage bag and tie the bag.  Let the dough rise for 2 hours. 
Once the dough has risen, knead it with additional flour until smooth.  
 
When rolling the dough, roll very thin. You may want to stretch it out on 
parchment paper. If you have a pizza stone, cook it on that, it turns out great. If not, on a pizza tray is fine. After a few minutes the pizza is in the oven, it will detach from the parchment paper. At that time you can slide it out if you want, if not that's ok too.
​
As far as sauces and toppings, you can either use a pizza sauce then add your favorite toppings, or brush a thin coat of olive oil and add your favorite toppings,  (if you like the oregano flavor, sprinkle with oregano)....there are endless possibilities.

Chef’s Note:
Once your dough has risen, if you want to save some cooking time, pre-cook your crust. Place in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Add your sauce and toppings. Bake for an additional 15 to 17 minutes.
PIZZA SAUCE:
INGREDIENTS
• 1 can tomato purée or crushed tomatoes 
   ( can size varies for how many pizzas you  
    make -- 1 - 14.5 oz. can will make two large 
    pizzas)
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• ¼ of an onion, finely chopped (optional)
• Salt, pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of dry oregano
• ½ cup water

DIRECTIONS
Sauté garlic and onion in oil for a few minutes. 
Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano and water.
Slightly cover and cook on low heat at a steady simmer for an hour, 
stirring occasionally. Oil will surface when pizza sauce is fully cooked.
Using my bread dough recipe, spread the dough on a cookie sheet 
lined with parchment paper.  If dough sticks to your hands, 
rub some oil on your hands to spread.  
Cover and allow to rise 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use pizza toppings of your liking.
I used cheddar and mozzarella cheese and pepperoni in this picture. 
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, checking occasionally because all ovens are different. 
Chef’s Note:
Once your dough has risen, if you want to save some cooking time, 
pre-cook your crust. Place in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool. Add your sauce and toppings. 
Bake for an additional 15 to 17 minutes. 
Watch Mariola prepare this in Episode 2  of "Mariola's Italian Kitchen" video series. 

Spianata


INGREDIENTS
Bread Dough:
• 8 heaping cups of all-purpose flour 
• 2 Tbsp. salt
• 1/4 cup olive or canola oil
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 packages of yeast
• 3 cups very warm water (not hot)

Topping:
• Olive oil
• Rosemary sprigs
• Sea salt

​DIRECTIONS
Combine the 3 packages of yeast into the 3 cups of very warm water and set aside for a few minutes to proof.

In a mixer with the dough hook attachment, or a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, oil, sugar and yeast mixture. Mix well. You may need to 
add a little more water if the mixture is too dry. Place the dough in a very large bowl with a lid, if you have one, but don't seal it...or you can 
cover it with a cloth.  Put the bowl into a new garbage bag and tie the bag. 

Let the dough rise for 2 hours. 

Once the dough has risen, knead it with additional flour until smooth. Form it into two loaves and place each one on a cookie tray with parchment paper.

Cover with a towel and let rise for an additional 1-2 hours.

After second rise, sprinkle entire dough with olive oil....the add sprigs of fresh rosemary and sprinkle sea salt on top.

​Bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.