Three Cheese Semolina Bread

  

 I made Three Cheese Semolina Bread  from the King Arthur website.  I added three toes of minced garlic, and a half teaspoon of dried basil and thyme.  This is the first time the aroma of the bread dough caught Wayne’s attention.  The fragrance of the cheeses and the garlic wafted through the house.  This bread was super easy and required no kneading, but I did knead it a little when I deflated it just before shaping it (stretch and fold).  Even though I have a lame (used for slashing bread), I find I do better using a good sharp knife.  Once the loaf was put on the stone, the whole house began to smell divine.  I can say with certainty that while waiting for the loaf to cool we went into a time distortion field.  I’m sure that was at least a 200 minute hour.  (I think I’ve watched a little too much sci-fi.)  The loaf itself is a thing of beauty.  The crust is covered with cheesy bubbles.  The tender inside has beautiful cheese holes. (I baked it on a stone as I have not yet invested in covered bakers.)  This bread would make a wonderful meatball or Genoa salami and prosciutto sandwich.  The bread calls for you to have a nice glass of red wine with it.  Kids would love it with a little pizza sauce and pepperoni.  Oh even better, toast some and have with a large Italian salad filled with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, black olives, and romaine lettuce.   I guess what I’m saying is this bread would be the perfect pairing with just about anything.
      When Wayne and I lived in New Orleans east one of my favorite things on a Friday evening was to have a thin crust pizza with the works and an Italian salad from Tower of Pizza on Downman Rd. delivered.  The crust was always super thin and crispy.  The Italian salad was wonderful.  Chocked full of olives, carrots, roma tomatoes, red onions, marinated artichoke hearts, pepperoncinis, and crisp romaine and ice berg lettuce - the salad was then tossed with a homemade Italian dressing and topped with basil, oregano, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  The restaurant itself was a combination hole in the wall/dive.  Nothing fancy, just really good pizza.  I don’t think I had pizza until I was 10 or 11 years old, and then it was frozen pizza from the grocery.  I think the crust was made of cardboard, the sauce tomato paste, and the toppings were mystery meat, and cheese.  Of course, not having had “real” pizza I thought it was good.  I’m glad that I discovered what pizza could taste like and the myriad of toppings that makes pizza wonderful.  As with many things, Tower of Pizza in New Orleans east went with Hurricane Katrina, but the memory of Friday night dinner from Tower of Pizza remains a fond memory of what was. 
     A little laginappe - a few weeks ago I made some pita bread just for the fun of it.  That's what happens these days when I get bored, I look for bread recipes.  It never made it to the blog, but below is a picture of how it turned out.  It was great with some roasted pepper humus.