Hello every one,
Here in Muscat it is winter season, cold but not rainy. So no problem with using the oven, all I
need to do is to put some ingredients together and play with dough, heat the oven and sprinkle
some flour here and there. I am in the mood of baking some bread. Looking at the long waiting
list of several types of bread that need to be baked, which one would I pick? My eyes fall on the
word Roman and I found me jumping into the kitchen. The word Roman brings back all the
sweet memories of my visit to Rome, Italy in 2011, followed by the nice train journey to
Florence. Rome is a magnificent city, the buildings, the culture, the food. Oh! Everything there
was breathtaking. I wish to visit Italy again.
So, ladies and gentlemen, today I bring you a delicious bread (for those who like bread with
crumbs); it is the famous traditional Roman bread; ciriola Roman.
Ciriola are small (70-100 grams) slightly elongated rolls that resemble a rugby ball, swollen in
the middle and pointed at the ends, however they are named after their candle flame-like
shape; since candle being called cereola in Latin. They are also characterized by their crunchy
golden crust and lots of soft crumb inside with large pockets, which help to give it smoothness.
We, who are not from Italy particularly Rome, hardly know this bread that fed the Italians
during the war, and even after, and was once the typical support for sandwiches for workers
until the mid-60s, when it was replaced by the loaf. And just after the war, the bread was
modernized further, which was nothing more than just a more elongated ciriola with fewer
crumbs. Now it is more difficult to find.
Well, now completed the brief history of this important bread at that time. How can I make
Rome bread at home?
Ciriola are made in two stages, the process is called “indirect method” which needs the
preparation of a starter (base), and after 16-20 hours of leavening to be joined to the dough.
The main ingredients are flour, fresh yeast, and salt, other recipes may call for malt, milk and
oil. Flour is kneaded with the starter and the yeast melted in lukewarm water.The salt
generally is made only towards the end of the kneading. The mass obtained is left to rest for
30 minutes at room temperature. It is then split into pieces weighing 100 grams each; allowed
to rest another 10 minutes at room temperature, then shaped into elongated centrally bloated
rolls. And after 45-60-minute rising at room temperature, they are put in the oven and baked.
As a variation, you can add to them raisins, olives, vegetables or meats like salami.
My ciriola came out perfect (ignoring the shape :-P). No need to tell you, the smell is fragrant,
with hints of oven and memories of yeast. The flavor is delicate. The consistency is given by
the lovely crumbs in the inside, which constitutes a soft support to the typical crispness of the
ciriola crust.
Ciriola are delicious the day they are baked, either plain as a snack or for sandwiches filled with
roasted meats, grilled vegetables, omelets, tuna, cheese, athichokes or salads, etc as lunch at
work. Mostly used for sandwiches because they can hold too juicy food for the presence of
crumb, ideal for absorbing condiments; which makes ciriola a hearty bread, suitable for fast
takeoff of hunger... Really satisfying.
However, like all small loaves it quickly lose fragrance and dry; so the fresh loaves are used for
sandwiches, but after two days they are perfect to make croutons beside soups and main
dishes. I keep them in the freezer and when i need some, just pop them in the microwave for
45 seconds.
The options are endless to include ciriola with your lunch or dinner meal; it can be cut into one
centimeter thick slices, and served to thicken soups and broths. Or, once cut, is browned in a
pan with butter and served with salads. The ciriola also can be toasted in the oven; and used
as the basis of liver pate. It is also suitable to accompany appetizers and cheese.
The ciriola, by its featuring crumb, allows good absorption of sauces; suitable to accompany
stews and casseroles. In addition, it can be served with tomato dishes like red sauce with
eggplant and lamb stew with peas.
You can learn making them by following the recipe below. For me, it was easy to make, fun to
shape and yum to eat......Nothing beats fresh homemade bread. So give it a try.
Here is the recipe (For 8-10 servings , 80-100g each):
Ingredients for the base (starter):
250 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
2.5 g of fresh yeast or 1g (1/2 tsp) highly active instant dry yeast
150- 180 g (2/3 – ¾ cup) lukewarm water
In a large bowl, combine the flour and yeast with 2/3 cup of water and knead the dough until
smooth and elastic, you may need more water, add 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 2 tablespoons)
while kneading until you get the smooth dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic film and let it rise 15-20 hours at room temperature.
Ingredients for the dough:
7.5 g fresh yeast or 2.5g (1 and ¼ tsp) highly active instant dry yeast
½ tsp sugar
150 g (2/3 cup) lukewarm water
250 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
Preparation:
- Dissolve the dry yeast and sugar in the water, cover and let it foam about 10 minutes
- Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the center
- Put the base (starter) in the well and gradually pour the yeast mixture while kneading
with your hands until you get smooth dough, then add salt toward the end.
- Transfer the dough into the desktop (sprinkled with little flour if necessary) and knead
with your hands, by folding the edges of the dough to the center, folding the dough, rolling
it, flipping, rotating, punching and repeating the process, for 10 minutes
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl sprinkled with flour, leaving the ends
underneath. Cover with a cloth and leave to rest for 30 minutes
- Divide the dough (without stretching) into 8 equal parts each weighs 100 grams, and
form into balls
- Put the balls on a clean cloth (the ends are underneath), cover them with a towel and
leave for 10 minutes
- Working with each ball, on a lightly floured counter top put the bun with the edges
upwards. With the bottom of your palm hit (punch) the middle of the ball. With your
fingertips press the top edge of the dough to the center.
- Put your both thumb fingers around the upper end of the dough and roll to get the
spindle shape. Place the roll on a floured surface with the edge down. Do the same with the
remaining buns.
- Cover them with a towel and let to rise 45-60 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 250 C degrees, and in the bottom of the oven put a metal container
- Line two baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the rolls with the ends up, and
arrange them spaced on the trays. Sprinkle lightly with water using a sprayer.
- Put one sheet in the upper third of the oven, and the second sheet on the lower shelf.
Put 8 ice cubes in the metal container.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, In the middle of baking, swap the position of the trays.
- Remove the bread, allow it to cool on a wire rack and serve.
