Should you have run out of bread and the guests arrive in half an hour, the Pane Veloce is the only way out. It may not be the lightest bread around, but definitely very nice and fresh out of the oven. One cannot use BIGA for this recipe as it is too slow – use dry yeast.

15 g dry yeast

10 g sugar

50 ml luke warm water

Whisk the above before you start weighing out the rest and let if begin to foam before use

500 g plain flour

10 g salt

60 ml olive oil

300 ml luke warm water

Mix all together, including the yeast mix and knead well (it may be a bit difficult to knead as it should be soft). The mix must be softer than a normal bread and the dough should just stick to your hands (a hard dough does not work for this recipe) add water if not soft enough or flour if too soft.

Form dough in a ball and place in a well oiled oven pan (not a bread pan). Cut a circle with a sharp knife, about 15 mm deep in the top of the dough, about halt the circumference of the bread – this will allow it to rise and expand and bake through.

Now place your bread in a COLD oven and then turn it on to become 220C when heated. The bread will rise while the oven is heating up and will then bake. I cannot say for how long you need to bake it as it will depend how fast your  over reaches temperature – a slower oven is better than a faster one. Use the knocking technique to see if loaf is ready.

The Pane Veloce can be made well under an hour from the time you take the flour out of the pantry until your serve your guest fresh bread out of the oven – no bread is faster!!

I started making these for the kids but had to triple up because everyone wants them now.I have given my version of leftover meat filling, but you may have your own ideas

Small Pies 

The Fillng

After a meaty meal there is always something leftover like BBQ Beef , Roast Pork or Chicken. Making pies with these often resuls in a tastier meal than the original.  Saute one onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in some butter and olive oil until soft. Now turn the heat up and fry the diced meat until well heated through. Adjust for salt and pepper. Add a half a chopped chili and some chopped fresh time. Baste for a while and keep moist by adding some stock, or wate, if you do not have stock. When heated through and basted for a few minutes, ad some fresh, or tinned if you do not have fresh, mushrooms.  Let all the moisture evaporate until you have a firm filling. Stir frequently. Remove from the heat to let it cool and set a bit as this will make it easier to use as a filling.

The Pastry

Whisk 10 g yeast and 10 g  sugar in enough lukewarm water to dissolve the sugar and yeast. Leave until the mixture is foaming

500 g     flour

150 g     butter softened

2             eggs  lightly whisked

10 g       salt

Mix all the ingredients including the yeast together. You should have a stiff dough like a pasta dough after kneading it a bit. Let the dough stand in a warm spot until the yeast is activated. Roll the dough out thinly – less that 1 mm thick. I do mine with a pasta machine setting on 5 . Cut circles with a cookie cutter about 100 mm in diameter. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center and fold the dough to close after painting the edges lightly with some egg to bind – press closed with the back of a fork. Now fold the wings in and secure the to end together with some egg again. Place in a  well buttered muffin pan and bake at 200 C until brown on top. Eat warm or cold.