List of Ingredients
- 5 C. of Italian 0 flour
- 1 1/4 C. of milk
- 1 1/3 STICK of softened butter, plus extra
- 2/3 C. of remilled semolina
- 1/4 LB. of speck, cubed
- 2 1/2 TBSP. of sugar
- 1 TBSP. + 1 TSP. of fresh brewer's yeast
- 5 of halves sundried tomato
- 4 of egg yolks
- 2 of Artichokes
- 2 of eggs
- 1 of Reinette apple
- 1 of shallot
- Dry white wine
- Grated Grana Padano cheese
- Rosemary
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Extravirgin olive oil
- Salt
Method
Add the flour, semolina, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer; dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm milk and add to the flours. Add the egg yolks and 1 egg and begin to mix with a dough hook; add the chopped butter and finally 1 teaspoon of salt at the end. Mix until you obtain a soft and smooth dough. Place it in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth; let it rest in the oven (switched off) with a pot of very hot water on the bottom of the oven: this is one way to create an at-home “leavening chamber.” Let it rise for 30 minutes. Remove the dough from the oven and stretch it out in one direction, then fold it over itself. Stretch it out again in the direction perpendicular to the previous step, and fold it over itself again (like you would do with puff pastry). Let the dough rise again in the covered bowl, in the leavening chamber, for another 30 minutes. For the first filling, trim the artichokes, cut them into quarters, and cook them for 20 minutes in a covered saucepan with 2 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 cup of white wine, 3 sprigs of thyme, an unpeeled clove of garlic, the sliced shallot, a pinch of salt, and 2 ladlefuls of water. Turn off the heat, let cool, and chop them not too finely with a knife. Combine them with the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and finish with a heaping tablespoon of Grana Padano cheese.
For the second filling, melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a pan with a sprig of rosemary; cook the peeled, diced apple for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the rosemary, and add the speck. Divide the dough in half. Form one portion into 14 balls. Roll out the balls into discs, stuff each by alternating the two types of filling, and close them back up into balls. Roll them in the palm of a cupped hand to seal them perfectly.
Place the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, forming a wreath like in the photo. With the remaining dough, make a second wreath the same way. By forming balls of different sizes, you can create a larger or smaller wreath, or even tiny buns. Brush the surface of the wreaths with an egg beaten together with 1/4 cup of milk and let them rise for another 30 minutes in the “leavening chamber.” Garnish to taste with chopped pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.