Prosciutto and Parmesan Bread

1. Place the flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, chopped herbs and yeast in your mixing bowl. Use a dough hook on minimum speed, gradually mix in the oil, egg and water to form a soft dough.

2. Knead for 1 minute on minimum and 4 minutes on high speed 1 until smooth and elastic. Remove the bowl and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

3. Using the dough-hook on minimum speed for 30-60 seconds gently knead the dough to knock it back a little. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and divide in two. Flatten each half into a round and sprinkle a fourth of the prosciutto onto each.

4. Fold each piece of dough in half and flatten slightly and sprinkle with the remaining prosciutto. Roll up, tuck in the sides, and roll into stubby long loaves. Transfer to a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal, leaving a space between the loaves. Cover again with lightly oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise for about 30 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size.

5. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade (400F, gas 6). Brush the top with water and dust with cornmeal. Slash the top of the loaves diagonally 5 or 6 times. Bake for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Serve with olive oil and sea salt as an appetizer or serve with Ree’s Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp, as we are doing tonight.