Rotolo ripieno 

(Stuffed Roll)

Video

This recipe makes two rolls.  You can make them with two different fillings.  A wonderful dinner.

Dough:

6 ½ cups of flour  (about)

3 scarce tsp salt

2 scarce tsp sugar

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 1/3 cup water (about)

1 envelope instant yeast ( about 2 ½ tsp)

Place flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl and stir well.  Add oil and water, and mix/knead till you have a soft, shaggy mass.  Turn out on a board and knead till you have a soft and supple ball, a few minutes.  Place in a warm place, covered, and let rise 1 ½ hours, till doubled.

Then knead briefly, cut into two parts, and roll one of them out, to a rectangle about

¼ -inch thick.

Spread with chosen filling, not too much, and leave a 1-inch border around perimeter.  Roll up neatly, closing the sides well.  Repeat with second piece of dough.

Place each on a parchment (or foil) lined baking sheet, and shape into a horseshoe.

Beat an egg lightly with a fork, and brush it all around the rolls.

Place in cold (yes, cold) oven.  Then turn temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 35 minutes, till lightly golden.

Cool 20 minutes or so before eating (it will be hard at first, then it will soften).

Filling 1:  Broccoli di rapa.  Clean 2 bunches of broccoli di rapa.  Sauté some garlic in olive oil.  Remove garlic, throw in vegetables, a little water, cover and cook till soft, about 40 minutes.  Add salt to taste, cut them up and cool.  Take some of it (see video), drain it well and spread on rolled out dough.  Then roll it up.  

Filling 2:  Ham and cheese; or Ham, Salami and cheese.  Dice up some ham, hard salami (or other cold cuts you might like), some provolone.  Arrange pieces on rolled out dough, add some grated Parmigiano, then roll up.

Filling 3: Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella  Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on rolled out dough, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.  Roll up.

You can come up with your own variations of the filling.  Almost anything goes!