Bolognese + Bread = Tasty Goodness

I'm a total math-lover and—as you could probably guess—this is definitely my favorite type of equation. Last night I decided to add together 2 foods I love to make: Bread and Bolognese sauce. I made the sauce extra chunky and rich, the bread a bit salty with a hint of olive oil, and topped the whole thing with parmesan cheese. And, as usual when I do simple addition with delicious foods, the final sum of the ingredients added up to totally scrumptious. Here's my new creation:

Open-Faced Parmesan-Bolognese Bread

If you're tight on time, purchase the bread dough at your local bakery or pizza place and skip step 1.

1. In the bowl of mixer (or a large bowl if you don't have a standing mixer), whisk together 1 packet of active dry yeast, a little squeeze of honey, and 1  1/2 cups of warm water. Let stand 5 minutes then add 3  1/4 to 3  1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Or stir the ingredients together then knead by hand for 10 minutes.) Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for about 90 minutes or until it has at least doubled in size.

2. Meanwhile, make the bolognese sauce: In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add about 1/2 cup of finely chopped pancetta and about 3/4 pound ground pork. Cook until the pork is lightly browned then add 1 onion (chopped) , 1 stalk celery (chopped), 2 carrots (chopped), 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper, 1 bay leaf, and a pig pinch of crushed red pepper. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add 1 cup milk to the ground pork mixture. Bring to a boil and let cook until the milk is totally evaporated. Add 1/2 cup dry vermouth. Cook until the liquid is almost gone. Add 1 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the carrots and celery are soft enough for your liking. Add one 6-ounce can tomato paste and 1 or 2 cups water (depending on how thick it is—you want it pretty thick, but thin enough to simmer for a while). Cover and simmer on very low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Punch down bread dough and cover in flour. Place dough on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Roll into a 14-inch circle (doesn't need to be perfect). Remove bay leaf from sauce and set aside. Pour the cooled sauce onto the dough, top with 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, and fold up edges leaving the center open. Use water to help seal the folded edges, if necessary. Brush dough with olive oil, then sprinkle with crushed red pepper, a bit of grated parmesan, and flake sea salt. Place the bay leaf in the center of the open-face on top of the cheese (this is to make it look pretty). Allow to rise for about 20 minutes, then bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is nicely browned and puffed. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.