Ricotta Chive Sourdough Rolls

     I love baking bread with my sourdough starter, especially when I come across a recipe like Chive Ricotta Sourdough Rolls.  I found the recipe at  The Fresh Loaf.  If you are a beginner like me, you'll find lots of great websites for bread, but I think the two most useful have been  King Arthur Flour  and The Fresh Loaf.  Both have an abundance of tips, recipes, and help.  The hardest part of making these rolls was finding fresh chives (it only took three groceries, I know, I need to grow my own herbs).  This was one of those long process, slow fermentation breads.  It’s easy, it just takes a three days to get there.  Day one was making the levain and letting it ferment for 12 hours.  Day two, the final dough was mixed and kneaded, allowed to rise for 2 hours. After the rise it was punched down and refrigerated over night.  On day three, today, it was shaped, and allowed to rise for five hours before being brushed with an olive oil mixture and baked.  Wayne went into the kitchen as it was baking and said, “That sure smells good.”  He was right, and as it turns out the rolls sure taste good as well.  The ricotta helps to keep the bread light and delicate.  The chives add a subtle onion flavor.  Since the rolls are made into a knot, they make a beautiful presentation.  Wayne said they looked like folds of fabric.
     I must confess that I did not make my own ricotta; maybe some day.  My favorite use of ricotta is in manicotti.  I love the combination of ricotta, freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago, mozzarella, and spinach.  I always put a little nutmeg in as well.  Baked with a light red sauce, and served with a crisp tossed salad and Italian bread, it makes just a great meatless meal.  When my little cousin Debbie was not married long, Wayne and I had her and her husband, Steve, over for dinner.  I made manicotti.  Steve had one serving, and asked for seconds.  (Being my mother’s daughter I learned to cook enough to feed a small army no matter how many people you are feeding.)  Steve seemed to really enjoy it.  After he finished his meal, he then asked what was the green stuff in the manicotti.  I told him it was spinach.  He said that he didn’t like spinach, but it was actually good in the manicotti.  Just proves, you don’t know if you like something unless you try it.