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Hello dear friends!

The bread is a very important and common food in Italy and the bread culture has its roots in very ancient times. In an ideal journey from north to south we will be able to meet a lot of different types of bread: each region has its own shapes, recipes, baking methods, names...

In the past, specially in the small towns, was very common for a family to bake its own bread at home, nowadays this custom is almost disappeared, as the people prefer to buy bread made by professional in the bakery shops. Neverthless, as the bread price increase day after day, i suspect  that  more and more people are rediscovering the joy of baking theyr bread at home.
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Today i want to share my homemade bread with you. All you need is wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar and a little of beer, and you will be able to bake your own bread at home.

A knead machine may replace your hands pretty well and  will make it easier(specially if you are lazy like me;)) and a wood-fired brick oven will bake your bread much more delicious.

P.S.: if you want to get more informations about italian bread traditions an interesting link here: http://garrubbo.com/types-of-italian-bread/

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The dough already start to leaven while it's still inside the knead machine
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Shape the dough in your favourite bread shape and let the yeast works and leaven it
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Baking now, we just have to wait. Sit down, let's have a drink, but dont forget to check your bread once in a while.
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Our freshly-baked bread. Just cut a slice and pour a drizzle of extravirgin olive oil on it while it's still warm. Enjoy!
 
Apulia region has a ancient and singular home-made pasta tradition. "Cavatiedde", "Friciddate","Recchjetedde" are just few of the vernacular names we use for our home-made shapes, and their sound remind us of ancient way of the apulian people  to prepare their own pasta at home.

Orecchiette is one of the most famous apulian home-made pasta. The name comes from the shape which reminds a small ear. Orecchiette are made with durum wheat, water and salt. To shape the little ears need to use a knife to rub the little piece of dough on the wooden rolling board. 
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Orecchiette con le cime di rapa
Orecchiette are combined with broccoli rabe and anchovies fillets in one of the most delicious apulian recipe. Then we also use to prepare Orecchiette with tomato sauce(with or without meat) mixed with spicy  "Ricotta"  cheese, with "Pecorino" cheese or salted "Ricotta" cheese sprinkled on the top.

Nowadays  modern lifestyle changed our habits, so we use to buy pasta from the supermarket shelfs for the daily life and reserve the home-made pasta for the celebrations and special occasions to enjoy with family and friends.

Anyway I can  say  I was  lucky enough in my life to see my grandmother and my mother capable hands preparing tons and tons of home-made pasta!



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To shape the little ears need to use a knife
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Rub the little piece of dough on the rolling board
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The dough is made by durum wheatm water and salt
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Our little ears are ready , like flying saucers on parade!