Struffoli!!!

With Easter around the corner, no Italian household would dare be without some dyed eggs, "pizza gaina" and, of course, some struffoli!!!! Struffoli is a dessert often served at Easter or Christmas. Imagine little fried balls of dough tossed in sweet honey and sprinkles...how could every adult and child NOT love this tradition?!?! Sometimes pine nuts and cherries are used as decoration, but most often you'll find these dough balls tossed in diavulilli or literally, "little devils!" In my house, they are actually eaten by little devils...five of them!!!!

I promise that if you serve these up this Easter, you do not have to toss anything in little devils if you do not want to, nor will your children turn into little devils. The struffoli, however, may be just the devilish temptation you'll spend the next year avoiding - until Christmas, that is!

YOU WILL NEED:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups honey
• 3/4 cup pine nuts (optional in my house)
• 2 1/4 ounces colored candy sprinkles
• 
  
• What To Do:
• 
  

1. Melt the butter or margarine over low heat. Mix together in a large bowl 2-1/2 cups of the flour. Add sugar, baking powder, lemon rind and salt. Make a depression in the middle. Drop into it the eggs and the melted butter or margarine. Mix with a wooden spoon and then with the hands until dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Add remaining 1/2 cup of flour as needed. Knead dough on floured surface until it isn't sticky anymore.
2. Break off pieces of dough and roll into ropes about the size of a pencil. Cut into pieces 1/4 inch long. Roll these pieces into little balls and set aside.
3. In deep frying pan, heat oil about 2 inches deep. Fry balls until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
4. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring 1-1/2 cups of pure honey to a boil. Let honey boil gently for about 3 minutes before adding little dough balls, stirring gently with wooden spoon until they are well-coated.
5. Remove balls from honey with a slotted spoon and place in a deep dish or mound them on a platter. Sprinkle surface evenly with nuts and multicolored sprinkles.

Recipe Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Cool & Serve & ENJOY!!!!

Stuffed Tomatoes - 3 ways!

The tomato is quite possibly THE most versatile veggie there is.....or should I say, most versatile FRUIT! Which would then make the potato the front runner when it comes to versatility. And we all know how much I love potatoes - sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes - you name it!

But back to fruit....Tomatoes are awesome! They can take on just about any nationality at any given moment and work wonders. It makes sauce, salsa, soup, a sandwich filler, a burger topper. Tomatoes can be just about anything.....like talented chameleons....or really good scam artists...Or not. Perhaps they're simply a versatile cooking staple...

In any case, stuffing tomatoes is just about one of the funnest things you can do with 'em! Yes, I know "funnest" is not a word. I make up my own words quite often, get used to it. And talk about versatility - you can stuff these babies with just about anything! Well, not anything.... I would not recommend stuffing them with rocks, mud or leaves (my children's go-to mirepoix when "cooking dinner" in the yard). I strongly suggest cooking this dish in the actual kitchen.

So here are my 3 varieties when stuffing tomatoes - Italian style:

PREPARATION:

Cut the tops off of your tomatoes. Remove the inside, discarding the seeds and juice but saving the pulp. Stiff the empty tomatoes as follows:

Herb & Bread Crumb Stuffing

With this one I just mixed Italian seasoned bread crumbs, fresh parsley, grated romano cheese, and enough e.v.o.o. to make the mixture like wet sand. Mix in some of the tomato pulp. Top it with some shredded mozarella and romano cheeses and bake it off! YUM

Sausage, Herb, and Breadcrumb Stuffing

This one was by far my FAVORITE mix. I used the same method above (the herbs & bread crumbs & tomato) and added cooked ground Italian Sausage (out of the casing) and wow was that amazing! Top with the cheeses and bake.

Sausage & Rice stuffing

This one had no bread crumbs. I still used fresh parsley, tomatoes and cooked sausage. I mixed that with some cooked rice, lots of grated cheese, and a splash of white wine vinegar. Top with cheeses and bake. Here they are, ready to eat!

These are seriously SO easy to make. The only important thing to remember is to thoroughly mix your fillings before putting them into your tomatoes. I also placed the tomatoes really close together to bake so as to give them some stability in the oven. They held up very well. Buon Appetito!

The Mamma Meets the Cucina: COOKING WITH SPIRITS!

So the holidays have come and gone and our liquor cabinets are pretty much cleaned out. But don't write off those nearly empty bottles yet! With less than a cup of some of the most common spirits, you can have an awesome meal on the table with a huge wow factor. And the Mamma & the Cucina are battling again to show you just how to do it!

FROM THE CUCINA

Of all the liquors that I keep stored in my house (and aside from a variety of rums, there aren't many others), tequila seems to be the least used. Just a nice margarita on Cinco de Mayo and maybe a grill-out or two is all the time that I usually have for tequila. Yes...my Cuervo 'shot' days are way behind me. So when I started to plan for our Cooking with Spirits post, I figured it would be a good time to dust off the tequila bottle and put it to some good use!

This recipe is very simple and only uses a handful of ingredients. The the tequila lime marinade leaves a refreshing, zesty flavor that, although screams for a summer grill-out, can be enjoyed all year round and makes for a terrific party appetizer.

TEQUILA LIME CHICKEN BITES

INGREDIENTS:

6 uncooked skinless chicken tenders, cut into 2" pieces

1/3 cup silver/white tequila

juice of 4 limes, plus zest of 1 lime

1 tspn honey

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

2 tblspn butter

PREPARATION:

Whisk together the tequila, lime juice, lime zest, honey and cilantro. Place the cut chicken pieces into tequila mixture, let sit in fridge for at least two hours (a plastic baggie works well for this).

Remove chicken from marinade, discard marinade. Quarter each piece of the prosciutto (adjust size accordingly to fit around each chicken strip). Wrap each chicken strip with one piece of the prosciutto and secure with a toothpick.

Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Place the prosciutto wrapped chicken in pan, cooking the chicken evenly on each side, until chicken is fully browned and prosciutto is slightly crisp.

Serve and enjoy!

FROM THE MAMMA

Sambuca is one of the liquors I remember from my childhood. After dinner my parents and grandparents would have a small glass over ice, or even put some in their coffee. I, personally, never liked the stuff, but I find that the naturally sweet flavor really enhances savory dishes for a sweet & salty effect! Sambuca is often used in cooking with prawns or lamb, but I went with shrimp. So my food-blogging brain did a little talking with my Italian stomach and I invented the following recipe:

SAMBUCA SHRIMP:

INGREDIENTS

12 shrimp, trimmed & deveined

1 TB olive oil

4 TB butter

3 TB minced shallots

juice of one small lemon

1/4 cup Sambuca

salt, pepper, crushed red pepper to taste

Saute the shallots in 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter until transparent. (You want to sweat the shallots, meaning you cook them without any color or browning). Add in the shrimp and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and plenty of crushed red pepper. Cook for about 1 minute on each side. Remove the shrimp. Add the sambuca and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.

Then add the lemon juice and the remaining TB of butter and simmer lightly until you get kind of a thin glaze. Then, throw the shrimp back in and toss it all together. Turn the heat off (you do not want to overcook the shrimp,a s the heat alone will finish the cooking process). Serve immediately over rice pilaf, or alongside roasted veggies. I served mine with brown rice since we are trying to keep that New Year's resolution of eating healthy! MANGIA!!

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON WHICH LIQUOR YOU WOULD PREFER AS AN INGREDIENT!!! SEE THE POLL ON THE RIGHT SIDEBAR OF THIS BLOG!

Italian Thanksgiving Recipes!

Unless you're a Med-e-gone, some kind of pasta on Thanksgiving is just plain normal. So is spending the four days preceding Turkey Day in the kitchen. It's just what you do. This year, we'll be trying some new recipes while sticking to the good old favorites, too. I've decided to pull together some of my favorites in this post for your menu planning pleasure...Click the links for the full recipe:

Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes - Our family favorite - rich & creamy!

Captain Morgan's Sweet Potatoes - The perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy!!

Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls - Just use this bread recipe but shaped into rolls.

Sunday Gravy - for your Thanksgiving pasta!

And for dessert, be sure to check out Cucina Domenico's latest post: Pumpkin Crisp!

Amatriciana Sauce - Italian Sauce with Pancetta

Since I started blogging here at UMI over 3 years ago, I've noticed that readers really love the sauce recipes. Whether its my family recipe for Sunday Gravy, Vodka Sauce or Arrabiatta Sauce - these sauces are classics that can usually be made with minimal effort and a big wow factor.

Here is another classic Italian sauce recipe that boasts the amazing flavor of Pancetta! It gets its name from the town of its origin, Amatrice (a super small town in Northern Lazio. We're talking central Italy, here - the countryside that literally divides the North from the South.) It is a very rustic style sauce.

Pancetta is Italian bacon that is cured with all kinds of salt and yummy spices. It is most often used in recipes for the flavor you get from the fat (who doesn't love cooking in a good fat!?) on the meat. Some "Med-E-Gones" substitute regular bacon in recipes such as these. I guess you could do the same, but then you run the risk of breaking my heart (and the hearts of Italians everywhere).

AMATRICIANA SAUCE

3 TB e.v.o.o.

2 oz. pancetta, finely cubed

1 med onion, minced

1 TB minced garlic

pinch of dried oregano

1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped or hand crushed

1/2 tsp (to start) curshed red pepper flakes (adjust to your liking)

1 TB julienned fresh basil leaves

salt & pepper to taste

Start with only 2 TB of the olive oil. Use it to brown the pancetta. Once browned, add the onions and garlic, saute over medium heat until soft. Stir in the oregano, hot pepper flakes, and the tomatoes. Bring it to a boil. SImmer until sauce has thickened a bit (around 30 minutes)

At the end, stir in the basil leaves and add more hot pepper/salt/pepper as needed. Stir in the remaining TB of olive oil until emulsified.

Toss with your favorite pasta and top with lots of yummy grated pecorino romano cheese! (my fav) And MANGIA!!

Cookin with Lentils: Easy Lentil Soup Recipe

Lentils are a hearty, economical ingredient when feeding a large family!

(Having five children, I've kinda figured 'economical' out)

So I thought I'd share my Dad's recipe for Lentil Soup.

It's very simple and perfect for a rainy day.

LENTIL SOUP

1 small onion, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

2 carrots, minced

2 TB butter

1 - 2 TB e.v.o.o.

2 cups Chicken or Beef Stock

2 cups water

2 cups cooked (very al dente) ditalini pasta

1 cup lentils, rinsed

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the butter and e.v.o.o. until soft. Do not brown. Add in the lentils and coat. Add in the stock and water. Simmer until the lentils are tender (around 30 minutes or so). Stir in the cooked ditalini pasta. Serve hot with a bunch of grated cheese on top! Buon Appetito!

*Variations: If you want more of a minestrone type taste, add in one can of diced tomatoes after having cooked the mirepoix for a bit. Also a bay leaf is a nice touch. Add a whole leaf while simmering.

THE MAMMA MEETS THE CUCINA - Veggie Challenge!

A VEGGIE CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!

Well, another Mamma Meets the Cucina battle was long overdue. This time we're dueling with veggies.

Cast your vote for your favorite side dish!

FROM THE CUCINA...

Peperonata, in my opinion, is the perfect Italian vegetable dish. The classic combination of onions, garlic and peppers sautéed in olive oil makes for the beautiful fragrance. The potatoes and tomatoes help give a nice, hearty texture to the dish. And the splash of white balsamic adds the delicious, slightly sweet, slightly tart finish. Whether you're serving it as a side dish, as an appetizer or as a meal itself, the hearty and rustic peperonata is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that you will enjoy time and time again.

Many of the recipes that I have found use either fresh tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes, with the addition of some water or broth to keep the peperonata from drying out. I actually prefer to use canned stewed tomatoes and their juices. The stewed tomatoes are already seasoned, they are soft enough where they will meld nicely with the softened peppers and the remaining ingredients, and the juice is plenty to keep this dish thick but moist (you don't want a soupy consistency). Be sure to use a variety of bell peppers. The variety of pepper colors make for a very appealing presentation. And don't forget the crusty bread for dipping and scooping!

PEPERONATA

1/4 cup EVOO

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 bell peppers (two green, two red, two orange and two yellow), seeded and sliced into strips

2 14.5 oz. cans of stewed tomatoes and their juices

4-5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 tblspn Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 tblspn white balsamic vinegar

In a large pot saute the onions in olive oil on medium-high heat, and when it is completely softened, and before it starts browning, add the garlic. Saute for an additional couple of minutes, then add the peppers, lower the heat to medium-low and stir well. Partially cover with a lid and let them soften up, about 10 minutes.

When the peppers have settled into the pan, add the stewed tomatoes and the potatoes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste and the Italian seasoning, stir well over medium-low heat. Add the white balsamic, stir again, cover, cook on medium-low for about 1-1/2 hours or until potatoes are cooked to preference, stirring occasionally. Serve on a platter with crusty or toasted Italian bread.

FROM THE MAMMA...

Zucchini is one of my favorite veggies - especially this time of year. I can remember my Grandma Rose picking the zucchini from her backyard garden, stuffing the flowers with ricotta and baking them. It was such a special treat that I loved when I was a kid. I figured that in an attempt to mimic my Grandma's recipe I could risk shaming the family, so I opted for fritters instead!

Fritters are a fun and easy way to incorporate veggies into a diet - especially for picky little ones. It's fun for kids to mix up a batter and watch them fry up. I made my daughter part of the whole process and she loved the final result twice as much because of it! Presented with a small slice of fresh lemon and parsley, these become a simple yet elegant side dish. They're like a good pair of jeans - you can dress 'em up or dress 'em down and they always look great.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

2 medium zucchini, trimmed & grated

1/2 small onion, trimmed & grated

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 eggs, beaten

e.v.o.o. for frying

Before combining all the ingredients, pat the grated onion and zucchini dry with a paper towel. This will remove any excess moisture that might make the batter too wet. Then combine all the remaining ingredients (except for the e.v.o.o.) with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Drop spoonfuls of the batter into a skillet coated with a couple TBSP of e.v.o.o. Flatten them slightly and cook until golden brown on each side. (about 2-3 minutes per side over medium heat)

Drain on a paper towel lined plate and serve hot or warm.

(The great thing about these fritters is they are great party appetizers since you can easily make up a whole batch and reheat them in a warm oven on a cookie sheet.)

Don't forget to cast your votes on either the Una Mamma blog or the Cucina Domenico website. And be sure to 'like' the Cucina Domenico group page on Face Book! Salud!

FRIDAY FIVE! - An Italian Mojito!

This cocktail recipe uses less than five ingredients - and ONE of the five is one of my favorites - PROSECCO!!

I discovered Prosecco while in Venice (so loved the bellini!!). The rest of my family, while on a recent visit to Florence, discovered this drink, which I lovingly call an Italian Mojito!! Just replace the fresh mint with fresh basil and the sparkling soda with Prosecco. Nix the rum; exchange it for scotch & cointreau and there you have it!

Ingredients:
Bunch of Basil
1/2c. Lt. Scotch(like Dewers)
Almost 1/2c. Cointreau
1 bottle Prosecco

Mix Scotch, Cointreau, & Basil together, muddling (crushing) the Basil to bring out the flavor.
Add Prosecco & mix all together. Enjoy!

Above is an actual photo that my aunt took in Rome as this drink was being concocted. It may sound like an odd mix of ingredients, but it's surprisingly tasty! Cheers!

Vodka Sauce

I was in the third grade. The D.A.R.E. program had been educating our class on the perils of drugs and alcohol. Clearly, I hadn't needed such elementary instruction considering my (scandalous) exposure to such addictive substances from an early age. I mean, we were Italian. Limoncello was for "dessert" and scotch was for teething babies.

So imagine my lack of concern when they asked, "Do any of your parents keep alcohol in the house?" Needless to say, I outed my own mother to the D.A.R.E. officers...

"My mom puts vodka in her sauce!" I proudly exclaimed.

Today, I am just as proud to say that I put my very own vodka in my sauce! When I moved out of my parents home at the young age of 19, my mom bought me an enormous jug of vodka (for vodka Sauce) since I couldn't legally buy my own! And really, most of it was used for Vodka Sauce!

All kidding aside, Vodka Sauce is truly one of my top favorite family recipes. All my friends wanted to eat over at my house for Mom's Penne A La Vodka. And it won my husband's heart when we were dating (to the heart, through the stomach!) And so today, I am sharing it with you.

Woo your lovers without intoxicating them with my recipe for Vodka Sauce.

VODKA SAUCE

4 TBSP olive oil (enough to coat the onions)

2 TBSP butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano varieties)

1 cup vodka, divided

1 cup heavy cream

Saute the onions in the oil and the butter on medium heat until transparent (Do Not Brown). Add 1/2 cup of the vodka. Cook out the alcohol (about 5 minutes). Add the tomatoes and blend with a hand blender. Add the remaining vodka. Simmer for 45 minutes. Then, slowly stir in the heavy cream (not while boiling). Serve over penne or your favorite pasta! MANGIA!

*NOTE: Should you wish to freeze this sauce ahead of time, do so before adding the cream. Otherwise, when you defrost it for use, the cream will break. When ready to use, thaw your frozen vodka sauce and add the heavy cream just before serving. I love keeping this on hand for nights when a marinara might not sound as exciting:)

FRIDAY FIVE! Blueberry Iced Tea & a little politics...

With all the heat the Tea Party has been getting lately, I figured I'd pay homage to TEA by posting an easy recipe for a fresh & fancy summer beverage. With five ingredients or less, you can't go wrong serving this at your next tea party! And if you can handle it, I would strongly recommend the addition of a sixth ingredient - perhaps some bacardi limon?!

Berry Iced Tea

4 qts brewed tea, cooled (I usually steep several green tea bags in 4 qts of water, but it will depend on your choice of tea and the strength you prefer)

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 TB lemon juice

In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, water, and sugar. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Strain, squeezing all the juice from the blueberries. Add the lemon juice to the strained mixture & allow it to cool. Combine the brewed tea and the syrup (do this a bit at a time, so as to control how much blueberry flavor you prefer in your tea) and chill in the fridge. Serve in a chilled glass over ice. I like to add a couple blueberries to the bottom:) Cheers!

And since I've already opened the can of worms, here's a little political humor for your Friday:)

Why did the chicken cross the road? SARAH PALIN: The chicken crossed the road because, gosh-darn it, he's a maverick! BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for change! The chicken wanted change! JOHN MCCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road. HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me. GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here. DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun? COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road. BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. AL GORE: I invented the chicken. JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it. AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens. DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems. OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a NEW CAR so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens. ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road. NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks. PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American. DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told. ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone. GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough. BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road. ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road. JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace. BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2011, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2011. This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot. ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken? COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

Brown Rice with Cherry Tomatoes

This is an easy side dish that mimics the flavor of pasta salad with the health benefits of whole grain brown rice. You can do so many variations with this recipe, but it's super easy. (I love my Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook!!)

My only drawback with this recipe - my garden has been growing VERY slowly, so my fresh basil was not at all ready to be picked and I had to use dried:( It was a bummer, but wow - it would be great with julienned fresh basil, just like Ina Garten suggests. Give it a try:

Brown Rice Salad with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes

1 cup brown rice

2 teaspoons salt, divided

1/4 cup White Wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon good olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ripe cherry tomatoes

1 cup packed basil leaves (1 large bunch), julienned (cut into thin strips)

Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil and add the rice and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Return to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed. Transfer the rice to a bowl.

Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, remaining teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Pour over the rice. Add the tomatoes and basil. Mix well and check the seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

St. Anthony's Day bread

Buona Festa di San Antonio a tutti!

Today is the feast of the great Saint Anthony of Padua! Traditionally on this day, Italian Catholics would start the day with Mass, followed by the Priest blessing animals, lilies, and bread in honor of the charitable San Antonio!

Likewise, Italians traditionally exchange loaves or baskets of bread rolls with other families as a token of prosperity and health that they may never go hungry. It is a long standing practice among past generations, and it's something we need more of today. Warm, freshly baked bread makes a great gift for any family, especially when it's blessed! So today, I've got my latest whole wheat bread recipe for all of you.....

Except this one is kind of cheating!! I use my bread machine to do most of the work, and then I take all the credit. The machine mixes, kneads, and rises the dough. Then, when that's all done, I simply roll it out and bake it! Perfect for a pregnant mammarella who won't be caught barefoot in the kitchen for TOO long!

NOTE: Most bread machines can accommodate a 2 lb. loaf (which this recipe's dough capacity is) but if yours does not, simply cut this recipe in half. Also, if you do not have a bread machine, you can always use this recipe with a hand-kneading method (but really, why would you want to?)

Bread Machine Rolls

Pane di San Antonio!

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3 tsp. salt

1 heaping TBSP. Active Dry Yeast

1 heaping tsp. vital wheat gluten

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup honey

1 1/2 cups very hot water

1 egg, beaten

Add the oil, water, honey, and egg into your bread machine container. Mix the dry ingredients (except for the yeast). Add the dry ingredients on top of the liquid, maintaining the separation of the liquid & dry layers. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the yeast. Turn on the bread machine (set on a 2lb dough cycle) and wait patiently!!!!

When the dough is done, remove it from the bread machine. This dough will be wet and sticky. Use enough all purpose unbleached flour to coat it and make it workable.

You can shape it into rolls like this:

OR you can braid it into a

pull-apart loaf like this:

This recipe makes a soft, fluffy dinner roll. If you want a crisper bottom, try baking it on a pizza stone with a water bath in the oven, but it really is not meant to be a crusty loaf, yet it still tastes AWESOME and is versatile enough for almost any meal!