Cucuzzara (squash bread with tomatoes, onions
4 Loaves
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| ¾ | cup | Olive oil |
| 1 | medium | Onion, cut in slices as thin as possible |
| ⅔ | pounds | Butternut squash, peeled & diced |
| 1 | Red bell pepper, roasted & cut into strips | |
| 4 | ounces | Tomatoes, peeled, seeded & diced |
| 1½ | teaspoon | Dried yeast |
| 1½ | cup | Warm water |
| 13/16 | cup | Durum flour biga |
| 7 | cups | Durum flour |
| 1 | tablespoon | Salt |
| Red pepper flakes, optional | ||
Directions
About 1 hour before you are ready to make the bread, warm ¼ c olive oil in a skillet & saute the onions over medium-low heat until they are soft but still slightly crunchy. Add the squash & pepper. Cover & cook for 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes & cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Cool. Stir the yeast into the water & let proof for 10 minutes. Add the biga & mix well.
Add the rest of the olive oil. Stir in the cooked vegetables. Add the flour & salt slowly, mixing until the dough comes together. Knead with wet hands until the dough is form, velvet & elastic. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover & let rise until doubled, about 3 hours. Divide the dough into 4 pieces & shape into long cylinders. Place on floured baking sheets, cover & let rise until well doubled, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden.