Olive Oil Bread (Pane Al 'Olio)

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Stir the yeast into the water in a large mixing bowl, let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Stir in the oil and lard, then the flour and salt until well blended. Knead on a floured surface until elastic and velvety, eight to 10 minutes. The dough can also be mixed and kneaded in an electric mixer or a food processor. If you use a food processor, first dissolve the yeast in one-fourth cup of warm water in a small bowl, add all the dry ingredients to the food processor bowl, then add the liquids, including the dissolved yeast, through the feed tube with the machine running.

3. Step 3

   Place kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about two hours. Dough should be very moist and velvety.

4. Step 4

   Divide the dough into 12 to 14 equal pieces, each about the size of a lime, and shape into small balls. Arrange the balls about one-and-a-half inches apart, not touching, in two free-form circles on oiled, parchment-lined baking sheets, or place in oiled ring molds that have been sprinkled with sea salt. Cover with plastic wrap and then a towel and let rise until doubled, one-and-a-fourth to one-and-a-half hours.

5. Step 5

   Heat oven to 400 degrees. If you have made free-form rings, brush the tops of the rolls in olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

6. Step 6

   Bake 35 minutes, cool on racks. Makes two rings.