Neapolitan Tortano Recipes

NEAPOLITAN TORTANO

Steps:

• Dice all the meats and cheeses (except Parmigiano and Pecorino) into 3/4 inch cubes, mix and set aside. Stir flour, yeast, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons Parmigiano and 2 tablespoons Pecorino in a big bowl. Add lard and work the mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough until it reaches a soft and elastic consistency, adding warm water (110 degrees Fahrenheit) only if really needed. Flatten the dough on a lightly floured work surface using rolling pin, forming a rectangle. Sprinkle dough with remaining tablespoon of Parmigiano and remaining tablespoon of Pecorino, then sprinkle all over with black pepper. Cover with the meat and cheeses mix. Wrap the dough onto itself in a tight wrap, leaving no air bubbles inside. Grease a Kugelhopf/Bundt pan with lard, then lay the dough wrap inside, pinching and seaming the ends together. Cut a few pieces of lard and put them on top of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm and draft-free place until taller than the pan (1 to 2 hours, depending on room temperature, humidity, etc.). Bake 2 hours in preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NEAPOLITAN EASTER BREAD (CASATIELLO)

Steps:

• Grease a 10-inch or 24-centimeter tube pan with a flat bottom with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons/30 grams semolina, tapping out any extra once the interior is fully coated.
• Combine herbs, 2 tablespoons oil and a good pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz to form a paste, scraping down sides as necessary, and then set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the lukewarm water. Use a spatula to stir mixture until combined and turn out onto a floured work surface. Dust your hands with flour, then knead dough for 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. You may need to add more flour if dough is too sticky, but do not add too much or it will become dry. Shape dough into a ball and set aside. Scrape down, clean and dry work surface, then dust with more flour.
• Roll dough into a 12-by-16-inch/30-by-40-centimeter rectangle, with the longest side toward you. Spread evenly with herb paste, leaving a 1 1/2-inch/4-centimeter border at the top and bottom, and a 1/2-inch/1-centimeter border on the sides. Scatter salami, Gruyère, Parmesan and egg evenly over herb paste. Grind pepper generously over the surface and then gently push the cheese, egg and meat into the dough.
• Starting from the longest side, roll dough into a log (as you would a Swiss roll or the dough for cinnamon rolls), making sure to tuck dough in at the ends as you go so contents don't fall out. Press edges to seal.
• Transfer dough to pan, with the long sealed side facing down. The stuffed dough will be heavy, so make sure you have a good grip on both ends before you lift it. Use your hands to bring the ends together, pinching them into place so they form a continuous ring of dough. (It may be easier to shape it into a ring on the counter first and then transfer it to pan.) Using a pastry brush, coat dough with remaining oil and then sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon/15 grams semolina. Cover with a slightly damp cloth and let rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until nearly doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/230 degrees Celsius.
• Bake bread for 30 minutes, until golden and crisp; it will seem very hard but will soften once it cools. Remove from oven and set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Turn bread out of pan onto a wooden board. (You may need to run a knife along edges of pan to release the bread.) Serve warm or cold.

NEAPOLITAN CHEESECAKE (TORTA DI RICOTTA ALLA NAPOLETANA)

Steps:

• Filling: bring a medium pot of water to a boil; add salt and farro; cook until the farro is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Drain well and set aside to cool.
• Combine the cooled farro, dried cherries, raisins, Marsala, and cinnamon in a bowl; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Dough: combine the butter and powdered sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until well combined, about 2 minutes.
• Add the flour and mix on low speed until combined.
• Turn the mixer to med-high speed and beat until the dough is soft and smooth, about 6 minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°; butter the bottoms and sides of a 10-inch springform pan.
• Wrap the outside of the pan with 2 squares of heavy-duty foil.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle.
• Transfer it to the prepared pan and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• Place the pan in the freezer for 5 minutes to allow the dough to firm up.
• Cut a 12-inch circle of parchment and place it on top of the dough; to weigh it down, cover the paper with 2 cups dried beans.
• Bake the crust for 7 minutes.
• Remove the beans and parchment, and bake until the crust is dry and golden brown, about 12 minutes.
• While the crust is baking, combine the ricotta, cream cheese, and mascarpone in a clean mixer bowl and mix on low with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until well combined.
• Add the sugar and mix for 2 minutes; add the eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and heavy cream, turn the mixer to med and mix for another 2 minutes.
• Bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil in a pot or large kettle.
• Remove the springform pan from the oven and place it in a roasting pan; lower the oven temperature to 275°.
• Spread half the cheese mixture evenly into the crust; spread half of the fruit mixture over the cheese and drizzle the liquid from the bowl over the fruit.
• Spread the remaining cheese mixture evenly over the fruit, and sprinkle with the remaining fruit.
• Place the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to came about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes; increase oven temperature to 300° and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Increase heat to 325° and bake until the cake is set around the edges but a little loose in the middle, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the springform pan from the water bath; carefully remove and discard the foil, and set the pan on a wire rack.
• Run a sharp paring knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the sides of the cake, and let cool to room temperature before removing the cake from the pan, slicing, and serving.
• The cheesecake is best served on the day it is made.