Crescia al Formaggio

The Easter bread at our house was sweet. My mom made a beautiful yeasted braid, "la treccia," that was punctuated on either end with a pastel-dyed egg. It was studded with raisins and fragrant with anise, vanilla, and orange zest, and I loved it toasted and buttered. (I've been unable to find her recipe, but if/when I do, I'll share it.) For the savory side of Easter, we indulged in her pizza rustica.

A couple of years ago, I happened to be in Perugia in March, right before Easter. All of the bake shops in the city, it seemed, were displaying impressive lacqueured domed loaves that resembled panettone. I assumed the bread would taste like panettone, too ~ sweet and a little eggy. What a surprise to slice into one and find it wasn't sweet at all, but savory, and rich with the flavor of toasted cheese.

This was "crescia," I learned, a traditionial bread from Umbria and Le Marche, typically served as an antipasto on Easter along with a plate of salumi. Its name comes from the verb "crescere," which means "to grow," and refers to the exaggerated, almost comical, way in which the dough rises. I've wanted to make it ever since, and I'm happy to say I finally got around to it. There's an excellent recipe in Carol Field's book "The Italian Baker," which I used as my guide, along with recipes from La Cucina Italiana and Sonia Peronaci. The biggest difference between the recipes is that the latter two use oil or a combination of oil and strutto (pork fat), while Field's recipe uses butter.

This bread has a tender, airy crumb and a robust flavor thanks to the handfuls of parmigiano and pecorino cheeses mixed into the dough. The dough is easy to work with; it feels alive and springy in your hands as you're kneading, and it rises gorgeously. The first time I baked the crescia, I used a paper panettone mold (6 x 4 3/8 inches) that was just a little too small. The second time, I used an 8-inch springform (cheesecake) pan fitted with a parchment collar. That worked beatufiully. But the paper mold makes for a prettier presentation. Next time, I'll use the paper but I'll pull off a knot of dough and use it to make a mini loaf for an extra treat.

CRESCIA AL FORMAGGIO
Makes 1 or 2 loaves, depending on the molds

Ingredients
4 teaspoons (18 g) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (16 g) sugar
5 tablespoons warm water (110F/43C)
4 large eggs plus 4 yolks, room temperature
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks; 170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing a bowl
2 cups (250 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (250 g) bread flour
1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
2 cups (130 g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup (65 g) freshly grated Pecorino Romano
A small amount of freshly ground black pepper
Sunflower or other vegetable oil, for brushing the top of the bread

Instructions
1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in the metal bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Mix in the eggs, yolks, and butter on low speed. Add the flours and salt and paddle until the dough begins to come together. Switch to the dough hook and knead for a minute or two. Add the cheeses and continue to knead until mixed in. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and grind a small amount of black pepper over it. Knead with your hands until the dough is shiny and springy. It will be a little course from the grated cheese.

2. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size ~ 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a tight ball, pinching a seam to keep it firm ~ or one large and one small ball if using panettone papers to bake the bread (see NOTE below). If using an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan, lightly butter or oil the pan and fit a parchment collar inside it.

4. Place the dough ball(s), seam side down, into the panettone papers or prepared pan. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise until the dough reaches the rim of the pan or molds, about 2 hours.

5. Heat the oven to 400° F/200° C. Lightly brush the top(s) of the dough with sunflower oil. Be careful here. I accidentally poked one of my loaves with the pastry brush, causing it to deflate slightly on one side. If using panettone molds, set the loaf/loaves on a baking sheet before placing in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until the bread is beautifully browned and burnished on top and cooked throughout. Begin checking after 30 minutes of baking; if the top is fully browned, gently set a sheet of foil over it to prevent further browning. Use a cake tester to test the bread for doneness before removing from the oven.

6. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack. If baked in a springform pan, unclamp the ring after 5 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes more before unmolding. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

NOTE: I baked the entire dough in a 26 oz. panettone mold. It worked, and the bread was fully baked throughout, but the amount of dough was just a little too much for the size of the mold, causing it to bulge at the top. Next time I use panettone papers, I will make two loaves, using one 26-oz mold and one 13.5 ounce mold to bake them.

If you don't have or want to use panettone paper, use the 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan, which works beautifully. The bread isn't quite so tall, but it forms a beautiful domed shape that is more in keeping with the traditional shape of the bread.