A delicious layered sandwich complete with a range of cheeses from Edam to Cheddar and Mozzarella.
Ingredients
- 900 ml lukewarm water
- 2 tblsp molasses (or black treacle)
- 2 x 7g packets active dry yeast
- 1700 g plain flour
- 2.5 tblsp salt
- 3 tblsp olive oil
- cornmeal, to cover the baking sheet
- filling:
- enough butter to spread on each slice of bread
- 225 g edam cheese (thinly sliced)
- 175 g cheddar cheese (grated)
- 175 g mozzarella cheese (grated)
- 1 head lollo rosso lettuce
- 1 head cos (or other green) lettuce
- 225 ml french dressing (to which you have added 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese and 1 tbsp dijon mustard)
- 1 jar pitted black olives
- 10 plum tomatoes (horizontally sliced)
- 16 thin slices prosciutto, parma or westfalian ham
- 16 thin slices chorizo sausage
- 16 thin slices pepper and|or garlic salami
- black pepper
Method
- To make the bread: stir the molasses with the lukewarm water in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle in the yeast, stirring to dissolve all the particles, and let it stand for 10 minutes.
- Begin adding the flour, about 1 cup at a time, stirring as you go.
- Add the salt and beat well after half the amount of flour has been incorporated and then stir in the remaining flour, keeping about 1 cup back.
- Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured board.
- Wash and dry the bowl.
- Sprinkle the remaining cup of flour over the dough, and begin to knead it; the dough will be very sticky at this point.
- Keep kneading, and add more flour if you need to, to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands or to the board.
- It's a big loaf and will require kneading for at least 15 minutes.
- As soon as it's smooth and elastic, the dough is ready.
- Pour the olive oil into the dried bowl and turn the dough in it to coat it.
- Cover the dough with a towel and let it stand until it has tripled in bulk.
- This may take an hour and a half, or it may take 3, but the volume is what you have to watch here, not the time it takes.
- Turn the risen dough onto the floured board and knead again for about 5 minutes.
- Shape it into a ball, turn it again in the bowl, cover, and let it rise until it has doubled in volume – about 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F/Gas 8).
- Rub the risen loaf generously with flour.
- Give it a slash narrowly across the top with a sharp knife.
- Put it on the middle rack of the oven and bake it for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5) and bake for another 30 minutes until the loaf is browned well and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom crust. Leave it to cool.
- To assemble: slice through the length of the bread horizontally into wide slices, 2.5cm/1 inch thick.
- Spread the bread slices with butter.
- On the bottom slice put leaves of washed and dried Lollo Rosso, then, using a pastry brush, liberally brush the leaves with the dressing.
- Lay the sliced Edam and sprinkle the grated Mozzarella and Cheddar evenly over
- the bottom slice, cover the ham with tomato slices and top with the next slice of bread.
- Lay the prosciutto over this slice, slice and dot the olives on top and grind the black pepper over, to taste.
- Cover with the third slice of bread, and lay the washed and dried Cos leaves evenly along it.
- Brush the leaves with dressing, as before.
- Layer alternately the sliced salami. tomatoes and Chorizo, and finally put the top slice of bread in place.
- Wrap the sandwich in cling film, place it between 2 sheets of baking parchment, put something heavy on top to weight it and refrigerate the sandwich for 3 hours.
- To serve: place on a large cutting board and cut into wedges with a serrated knife.
