Multilayered Anchovy Bread

A savory Mediterranean-style bread featuring layers of dough enriched with anchovies, Hungarian paprika, and fresh oregano. This artisanal bread combines Italian "00" flour and semolina for perfect texture, rolled with a flavorful olive oil and anchovy filling.

8 servings
4 hr 30 min

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup warm water (105-115°F)
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-oz package)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup "00" flour*
  • 1 cup semolina flour**
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 4 fillets canned flat anchovy fillets, drained, patted dry, and minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Stir together water and yeast in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Stir oil into yeast mixture. Pulse together "00" flour, semolina, and salt in a food processor until combined. With motor running, pour in yeast mixture and process until a wet dough forms. Transfer dough from bowl to a lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times until smooth. Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

    90 min

  2. 2.

    Whisk together all oil ingredients in a small bowl until combined well.

    5 min

  3. 3.

    Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to remove air. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface into a roughly 18-inch round (1/8-inch thick).

    15 min

  4. 4.

    Reserve 1 tablespoon seasoned oil and brush remaining oil over dough round, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge. Tightly roll up dough jelly-roll style and pinch seam to seal (some filling will seep out as you roll). Arrange roll seam side down and form into a coil, then transfer to oiled pan. Gently press on coil to flatten slightly, then cover pan loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

    60 min

  5. 5.

    Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Brush top of dough with reserved oil and bake until pale golden and top and underside are crusty, 35 to 40 minutes. Lift bread from pan with a metal spatula and transfer, right side up, to cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour. Serve bread thinly sliced.

    100 min

  6. 6.

    *Available at fornobravo.com.

  7. 7.

    **Available at D. Coluccio & Sons (718-436-6700).