Photo courtesy of Kami Stafford. pipersdreamweaver.com

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I obtained this recipe while I was in high school, from a second-generation Sicillian American. He gave it to me in conjunction with his recipe for Sicillian Pizza.

This is a fairly low-fat content recipe, as compared with the Polish Potato Bread. As such, it is a little lower calorie and it's got a little less tamas from the grease, but does not keep nearly as long without going stale. About the first day is it for bread. After that, it can be grated and used for bread crumbs in any recipe.

It is useful for making sandwiches, Garlic Bread, or eating plain, buttered, jellied.

Ingredients

• 1 quart water
• 2 tbs sugar or honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt (optional)
• 1 package fresh or dry yeast, or an equivalent amount of dry yeast from a jar
• Approximately 2 lbs flour

Optional Ingredients

• basil
• oregano
• parmesean cheese
• italian parsley
• dried tomatoes

Do NOT add garlic to the bread dough! It will prevent the yeast from rising. However, you may sprinkle the top with garlic powder, if you so desire.

• Dissolve the yeast in another cup of lukewarm water. Add sugar. Place in a warm dark place, such as the oven with a pilot light, until the yeast is frothy
• Add oil
• Add flour,salt, and any spices.
• In a pan or bowl which can hold approximately 2 gallons, mix and kneed well, for approximately 10 minutes. Add flour as necessary to have as much flour mixed into the liquid as it will absorb. Return to warm dark place until double in size.
• Kneed again, adding flour if necessary. Return to warm dark place until double in size. This is the first rising.
• Remove any dough at this point which you wish to use as dough for Sicillian Pizza. Or, allow any you are not using for pizza dough to double in size.
• Kneed again, adding flour if necessary. Return to warm dark place until double in size. This is the second rising.
• (Optional third rising)Kneed again, adding flour if necessary. Return to warm dark place until double in size.
• Lightly grease loaf pans or baking pans.
• Kneed bread again, adding optional cheese at this time if you desire. Divide it into loaves, filling approximately half the loaf pan, or form into rolls about the size of your fist, as desired. Put a half twist in the loaves, if you prefer.
• Lightly oil the tops of loaves. Sprinkle with spices or parmesean cheese, if desired.
• Return pans to warm dark place. Allow to double in size.

Cooking

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Bake for 45 minutes
• Remove bread from oven, and place on wire rack or on plates, platters, or trays. Brush all surfaces of all loaves and rolls with oil, using pastry brush or paper towel.

Yield: 1 loaf or 2-3 pizza crusts for Sicillian Pizza

Serving

• Allow to cool enough so you don't burn yourself while sampling. Allow to cool completely before storing.
• Keeps overnight in plastic bags, or may be frozen for several months.
• Alternately, the dough may be frozen before baking, and kept for several months.