Casatiello

17/11/2023

The casatiello is a rustic pie typical of Neapolitan cuisine, traditionally prepared during the Easter period. It’s a bread enriched with cured meats and cheeses, with a ring shape, and it can also feature whole eggs with the shell, set in the dough and secured with crossing strips of dough. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

500 g of type 00 flour
250 ml of lukewarm water
100 g of lard (or alternatively extra virgin olive oil)
1 cube of fresh brewer’s yeast (25 g)
150 g of Neapolitan salami, diced
150 g of smoked provola, diced
100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs (optional, for decorating the casatiello)
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Preparation

Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the lukewarm water.
In a bowl, pour the flour and make a well in the center where you’ll add the dissolved yeast.
Add the lard (or oil), the Parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper, and start kneading.
When the dough starts to take shape, add the salami and provola, and continue to knead until you get a smooth, uniform dough.
Form a ball with the dough, place it in a bowl covered with a tea towel and let it rise for at least 3 hours in a warm place without drafts.
After rising, take the dough and work it again on a floured surface, giving it the shape of a ring.
If you decide to use the eggs as decoration, arrange them on the dough and secure them with little strips of dough forming crosses.
Let the formed casatiello rise for another hour.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 45 minutes or until it becomes golden.
Remove the casatiello from the oven and let it cool before serving.

Remember that for the best results, the casatiello should be consumed a few hours after baking, when the flavors have been well absorbed.

Curiosity

The tradition of casatiello is very ancient, and its roots plunge into a past where this rustic pie represented a rich meal to be consumed after the long fasting period imposed by Lent. The embedded eggs symbolize rebirth and the abundance of the Easter period.