Casatiello - Italian Easter Bread

When I saw this recipe (Alimentari), there was no doubt in my mind I wouldn't give it a try. I mean bread stuffed with meat, eggs, and cheese? Wow.

First step was to make the dough. For this go round, I opted for lard over butter. Once the dough went through its two rises, I rolled it out.

Next up, were the fillings. 

I was able to score some salami, but subbed bacon for the pork cracklings. All of this was sprinkled on the dough...

...then topped with some grated Parmesan.

I rolled the dough into a cylinder shape and popped it into a spring form pan.

The pan went into a pre-heated 355-degree oven and baked away for an hour.

I served it warm that night for dinner and we both thought the dough to be lighter and flakier than expected. This was a good thing. The filling components all worked very well together, especially the hard boiled eggs. A couple of days later, I served it at room temperature, and it was still just as delicious. 

But besides the taste, I really like this recipe for its versatility. The filling ingredients could be just about anything your heart desires. And because it can be served warm or at room temp, it can be a great brunch or dinner dish or even an appetizer. 

Looking forward to indulging my imagination and making this recipe again. Hmmm...I bet schmearing the dough with basil pesto might be nice.