Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder Mediterranean Bread Recipe
Chicago is known for many things – deep-dish pizza, Lake Michigan, and the iconic Bean sculpture, to name a few. But one of the city's lesser-known culinary delights is the Mediterranean bread served at the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company. This hearty, flavorful bread is the perfect accompaniment to the restaurant's famous pizza pot pies, and it's surprisingly easy to make at home. Read on for the recipe!
Ingredients
To make the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Mediterranean bread, you'll need the following ingredients:
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
Most of these ingredients should be readily available at your local grocery store. If you can't find cornmeal, you can substitute with semolina flour or even polenta.
Instructions
Once you've gathered your ingredients, follow these steps to make the bread:
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it becomes frothy.
- Add the salt, olive oil, oregano, and basil to the yeast mixture, and stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour and Parmesan cheese.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Coat the dough with olive oil and place it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sprinkle the cornmeal onto a baking sheet.
- Punch down the dough and shape it into a round loaf. Place the loaf onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
And that's it! Your Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Mediterranean bread is ready to serve. It's delicious on its own, but it's especially tasty when paired with the restaurant's signature pizza pot pies.
Conclusion
If you're a fan of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, you owe it to yourself to try the Mediterranean bread at the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company. And if you can't make it to the Windy City, now you can recreate this tasty bread at home. Give it a try and impress your friends and family with your culinary skills!