Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 3 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Wet Ingredients
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 120 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 80 ml olive oil
Savory Add-ins
- 150 g cooked ham, diced into 5mm cubes
- 50 g pancetta, finely diced
- 100 g mozzarella cheese, shredded or cut into small cubes
- 50 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 100 g roasted red peppers, patted dry and diced
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves picked and lightly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Thoroughly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with a sling of parchment paper to ensure easy removal.
Place the diced pancetta into a cold skillet, then turn the heat to medium. Sauté until the fat renders and the pancetta is golden and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling the raw meat.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to ensure the leavening agent is evenly distributed.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk the room temperature eggs, whole milk, and olive oil until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
Pour the wet egg mixture into the center of the dry flour mixture. Use a silicone spatula to gently mix the ingredients together just until no dry pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix; a few lumps in the thick batter are perfectly fine.
Add the diced ham, cooled crispy pancetta, mozzarella, parmesan, thoroughly dried roasted red peppers, and fresh thyme to the bowl. Gently fold the ingredients into the batter until they are evenly dispersed throughout.
Scrape the heavy batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 45 to 55 minutes. The bread is done when the top is golden and puffed, a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, and the internal temperature reaches 90°C/195°F.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment sling to carefully lift the loaf out and transfer it directly to a wire cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing to ensure neat, clean cuts.
Chef's Notes
- Moisture management is critical when working with roasted red peppers. Pat them completely dry with multiple paper towels before dicing to prevent pockets of gummy dough around the peppers.
- For the lightest crumb, ensure your eggs and milk are at room temperature. Cold ingredients will cause the olive oil to firm up, making the batter difficult to mix and encouraging overworking.
- Do not skip sautéing the pancetta first. Rendering the fat improves the texture and prevents the bread from becoming greasy, while adding a necessary layer of crispy, smoky flavor.
- You can customize the cheese based on your preferences, but stick to a ratio of mostly semi-hard melting cheese paired with a smaller amount of a hard, aged cheese for depth of flavor.
- If you want a more golden, crispy top crust, sprinkle an additional tablespoon of grated parmesan over the top of the batter right before putting the loaf into the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Slice before freezing. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag for easy individual reheating.
Reheating: Warm slices in a toaster oven at 160C/320F for 5 minutes, or microwave for 20 seconds.
