Carasau Bread for World Bread Day 2010

Happy World Bread Day!
qui la ricetta in italiano

Today we celebrate 5th Anniversary of World Bread Day, a worldwide event created by Zorra.
I have been joining the event in the last two years, baking a multipurpose dough first and then Freselle, a popular bread originated in South Italy regions.

For this occasions I have baked a very special bread originated in one of the most beautiful Italian island, so peculiar in its name too, often called carta da musica-music sheets because of its large and paper thin texture.

Carasau bread is a tipical bread of Sardinia, a sort of thin and crisp large flatbread (called lentu) which is usually cooked in wood ovens at very high temperatures. Toasted lentus can be stored in sealed containers for long and should they absorb humidity they can be baked again a few minutes in hot oven to have them as crispy as freshly baked. They will be a nice idea to serve with drinks and snacks, even tastier when brushed with olive oil, rosemary (or your favorite aromatic herb), salt and pepper. They can be shaped into bowls to surprise your guests serving fresh chicken, meat, fish, vegetable salads into them.

Not difficult at all, the dough is very manageable, and apart rising time, no long time is required for rolling and baking: just a little suggestion, better to use two baking pans (low round pizza ones will be perfect ) because they have to be very hot for baking and while you use one the other still remains hot.

Ingredients:

500 g durum wheat semolina
300 g warm water
5 g fresh yeast
3 g salt
durum wheat semolina for dusting

- Dissolve the yeast in water, add to the flour, start kneading, add salt at last. Work and beat the mixture for about 10 minutes, should be quite soft, if necessary add a few more drops of water.
- Divide the dough into 16 balls and let rest covered for 2/3 hours, must double, even more.
- Before you start rolling the lentus turn the oven up and settle the two pans inside.
- Take a couple of balls at a time, flatten slightly with a rolling pin, flour generously with semolina and put one onto the other. Roll out carefully trying to keep the pastry smooth and unwrinkled (I occasionally pulled up an edge and added more semolina between the two sheets, inevitably it comes out while rolling).
- Slide the two sheets together directly onto the hot pan and bake 15/20 seconds, then take out from the oven, wait a few seconds and gently separate them, paying attention to the hot steam coming out. If the pastry swells while baking the operation is easy, otherwise you will need more delicacy and attention. Do not cook more than 20 seconds otherwise they dry out too much and then you will have more difficulties to divide. Leave lentus to cool while rolling the remaining balls.
- When all the lentus are ready, arrange on baking trays (without overlapping) and bake at 170/180° for 7/8 minutes, until slightly golden.

Bowls: wrap a lentu around a small upside down foil bowl (those for crème caramel) and tie up the dough with kitchen string, place on baking pan and trim edges if too large. Bake at 170/180° for 8 / 10 minutes, until they are golden.
If kept in a sealed box they last for a couple of months, but if necessary they can be baked again in the oven for a few minutes at 170/180°.

Carasau Bread Millefoglie
with zucchini, tomatoes and scamorza by my dear friend Anto

Lightly grease a baking dish, place a sheet of bread carasau lightly sprayed with cold water, place a layer of plum/cherry tomatoes and zucchini (previously clice tomatoes and zucchini into thin rounds and season with extravirgin olive oil, salt,oregano, basil and let half an hour to soak), cover with thinly sliced scamorza. Repeat one or two layers more, ending with cheese. Sprinkle with oregano, add a little oil and bake at 180° for about 10 minutes. If you like you can add some olives or capers too.

This dish is suitable to numerous variations, adapting to the current season vegetables.

Any suggestions for Autumn season: pumpkin and mushrooms, radicchio and bacon, apple and fennel.

• World Bread Day 2010 - Roundup - Part 1 (A-H)
all entries from Argentina (3), Australia (2), Austria (2), Belgium (1), Brazil (2), Bulgaria (1), Canada (4), Finland (1), France (16), Germany (16), Greece (1), Hong-Kong (1)

• World Bread Day 2010 - Roundup - Part 2 (I-N)
all entries from India (3), Indonesia (2), Ireland (2) Israel (2), Italy (79), Kuwait (1), Malaysia (1), Netherlands (1)

• World Bread Day 2010 - Roundup - Part 3 (P)
all entries from Philippines (1), Poland (36), Portugal (19)

• World Bread Day 2010 - Roundup - Part 4 (S)
all entries from Spain (73), Switzerland (4)

• World Bread Day 2010 - Roundup - Part 5 (T-Z)
all entries from Taiwan (1), Russia (5), Ukraine (1), UK (10), USA (18), Venezuela (1)