Mamma makes a home made garlic bread called Frezena, which is crunchy and not like your typical North American garlic bread. To start, her baked bread looks like a super sized doughnut, however, for this exercise or recipe you can use a french loaf or your own home made bread. Just cut it in half, place on cookie sheet or pan and follow instructions below.

Ingredients:

1 clove Garlic per side
Drizzle of olive oil
Drizzle of Vinegar (Red)
Parsley to taste
Loaf of Baked or homemade Bread

Directions: Read more…

Ingredients
3 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
8-9 cups flour

Toppings
grated cheddar cheese
chopped ham

Directions
Mix all ingredients with exception of toppings into mixing bowl. Let rise for about 30 minutes, depending on your yeast might be longer. Knead and place dough on table and let rise for second 30 minute interval.

Using your rolling pin flatten dough
add ham and cheese to top
roll dough like preparing a cinnamon bun
cut and put on sheet pan
sprinkle cheese on top
let sit for 15 minutes before baking

Bake for 20 minutes until brown at 350 deg F

Variation: substitute ham with spaghetti sauce

Makes about 36 or 3 dozen buns.

This is a specialty sweet bread that Mamma makes only at Easter time. This sweet bread has a heavier consistency than your typical bread and the finished product has a yellow color tinge to it. The Kids will gobble it up and it will soon become an annual Easter tradition.

Ingredients

7 Eggs (whisk)
7 teaspoons Baking powder
3 cups sugar
Flour (approx 5 cups)
2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup milk
8 ml Salt or 1/2 tbsp
6 eggs (for decorative purposes, twist dough over raw egg)

Directions

• Beat the 7 eggs well with whisk.
• Add 3 cups sugar, add 2 cups of vegetable oil, 8 ml salt or little more than 1/2 tbsp salt, 1 cup milk. Whisk well to add more air.
• Add flour to make a dough consistency (approx 5 cups) and add 7 teaspoon baking powder.
• Roll and twist the dough in strips, add decorative egg (raw, shell still intact of course), shape as per above image.   Use thinner strip of dough to wrap the egg on the top or for the last layer.

Bake at 300 deg F  for about 35 minutes.

Makes about 6 loaves.

This sweet bread is a treat Mamma gives to all the grand-children each year and it is also known as pane di pasqua in Italian.

This authentic Italian honey bread recipe is from Concetta and it is called Mustazzoli. It is often served at weddings and special events.

MUSTAZZOLI (Concettas’ recipe)

1 medium sized jar of liquid honey
5 eggs
1-1/2 cups water
4 tsp (heaping) baking powder
Flour

Mix in enough flour to absorb the liquids.  Knead to make a firmer dough than bread.   Concetta makes it in the evening, leaves it over night and then cooks it in the morning.  Bake at 325 deg F till firm and brown.

You can use 1/2 jar honey for a smaller batch of Mustazzoli. This will make a few long narrow loaves, but they freeze well.  The more times you make this Italian Honey Bread the better the recipe will turn out so stick with it.  Mangiare!!

There are many types of Italian breads, Ciabatta, Pane carasau, Pane casareccio, Panino, Focaccia, Pane toscano (without salt), Michetta, Rosetta, Ciriola, Pane pugliese, Pane di Altamura, Pane Fritto,  Grissini torinesi, Tigella, Crescentina, Piadina, Pita to name a few. The following is an authentic age old Italian recipe for fried bread Mamma style.

Ingredients:
2 cups of warm water
2 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp salt
2 cups of flour

Vegetable oil (for frying pan)

Directions:

• Wait for yeast to float on top of the water then add flour
• Mix till no lumps (not like pancake dough)
• The dough should stick to your hands and fingers for the consistency to be correct
• Leave until ready to fry do not touch it!!
• If the house is hot/warm the dough will rise faster
• Fill the frying pan ¾ full with vegetable oil and set burner or stove up as high as 8.
• On the side fill a little bowl with some oil to dip your fingers in so the dough does not stick too badly to your fingers. Remember to frequently oil your fingers and hands to prevent dough from sticking.
• Pinch a bit of dough, quickly spread it or stretch it then carefully place it into the oil in the pan (see photo).
• Can cook quickly so do not leave unattended.
• Flip when underside is golden brown.

Let cool and enjoy! Mangia!