Michette, recipe of the typical bread of Milan

The michette are bread rolls, very popular in Northern Italy and in the Canton of Ticino (Switzerland), with a round shape and a weight that, generally, ranges from a minimum of 50 to a maximun of 90 grams.

Unmissable companions for hiker's picnic and trips out of town, once cooked the michette can be stuffed with cold cuts, cheeses or grilled vegetables and can be offered as a tasty snack or take-away lunch for students and workers outside the home.

Here us of Starpizza we propose the recipe for white michette bread rolls with direct method dough, but the michette can be made with any type of dough, such as wholemeal and spelt.

Ingredients

-1 kilo (1000 grams) of white flour type 00

-10 grams of brewer's yeast (or 200 grams of mother yeast)

-500 milliliters (half a liter) of water

-10 grams of salt

Preparation

1.Pour the white flour type 00 into the mixer, then set the machine on speed 1 and let it run for 5 minutes to refresh the flour. Add the salt.

2.In a container, dissolve the brewer's yeast in water at room temperature. Once dissolved, pour the yeast and water mixture into the mixer. Let it run for another 5 minutes, then set speed 2 and continue for another 5 minutes.

3.Turn off the machine. With the help of a dough scraper, remove the dough from the bowl, then place it in a previously floured plastic leavening box. Place the box in a leavening cell and let the dough rise for 90 minutes.

4.Finished the leavening time, divide the dough into block of 400 grams. Place a block on a plate for divider rounder, the place it under the press of a manual divider and rounder and press to form round balls.

5.Repeat the operation with the other blocks. Arrange the balls obtained on a baking sheet (3 vertically and 3 horizontally). Each baking sheet, ideally, should have 9 balls, but if you have very large baking sheets, you can also put 12 balls on. We suggest to not put on more, because otherwise it could happen, during the leavening phase, that the michette bread rolls stick together.

6.Place the baking sheets, covered with a plastic sheet, on a baker trolley. Place in the leavening cell and leave to rise for 90 minutes.

7.Once the leavening is complete, take a baking sheet, remove the plastic, then, with the help of a razor blade, make an incision of 8 centimeters on each michetta bread roll. Put the baking sheet back on the baker trolley, then repeat the operation with the other baking sheets.

8.Place the michette bread rolls in the oven at 220/230° degrees Celsius with a little steam and cook for 15-20 minutes. Finish the last 5 minutes of cooking with the draft open, then remove the baking sheets from the oven with oven gloves (or with a baker shovel if they are at the bottom of the oven) and place them on a baker trolley.

9.Do not use too much steam, otherwise bubbles will form on the surface of the michette bread rolls.

Fillings for michette bread rolls: suggestions

Grilled vegetables: fresh cheese (example: Philadelphia), grilled vegetables of your choice (we suggest eggplants, red peppers and zucchini).

Salami: butter, sliced Milan-type salami.

Dostoevskij: butter, smoked salmon, thin slices of lemon and dill.

Ham and cheese: pink sauce, ham, sliced cheese (example: Gouda, Edamer or Fontina cheese), green salad and tomatoes.

Made in South: fresh cheese (example: Philadelphia), spicy salami, chopped black olives and grilled eggplants.

Wrong Caprese: butter, sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, oregano, dried tomatoes in oil and Formentino salad.