No-Knead Toscano Salami Cheese Chive Bread

I saw this on food t.v. and since I've had success making no-knead breads, I was inspired to give it a try.  I found locally made salami that included figs, which I thought would work perfectly, along with cheese.  

• 3 cups (400 grams) bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast 
• 1 & 1/3 cups (320 grams) water, room temperature (73°F)
• 170 grams Toscano salami, diced into 1/4-inch pieces 
• 1 cup Dubliner cheese, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, snipped fine with scissors 
• Butter, for serving, if desired 

Attach paddle attachment to stand mixer.  Mix flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and combine. I only paddled till just mixed.  Below is dough out of mixer.

Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 12-18 hours. I did mine at bed time and put in in my oven, it has a bread proof setting (95°F).  It was poofy when I woke up and I could smell the yeast through the plastic!

Remove the plastic wrap.  Sprinkle one-third of the salami, cheese and chives evenly over the top. 

Using a rubber spatula, fold the outside of the dough over the top starting at 12 o'clock and working around, covering all the salami. 

Repeat this process two more times until all of the salami, cheese and chives are folded in.  Lay a piece of parchment paper on the counter and sprinkle with an even layer of flour to cover the surface (about 1/4 cup or so). Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment, seam side down. Use heavily-floured hands to shape it into a roundish blob. 

Press in any exposed salami bits and pinch the dough to seal. I think I had too much filling as it was almost impossible to tuck all the bits in.  I did my best and crossed my fingers 🤞. Sprinkle the top with another layer of flour and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. (I used too much flour on that dusting, but live and learn.  I was trying to hide the stuff poking out of the dough!)... 

Let sit until the dough has risen by half, 1.5 to 2 hours.  Put Dutch oven on low rack in oven with lid on and preheat to 450°F.   Uncover the plastic from the bread dough and gently lower the dough into the Dutch oven on the parchment. 

Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Below is after the half hour.  

Remove the lid, then bake until the top is golden brown and crusty, another 10 to 20 minutes.  'Twas 17 minutes for me and then I think I smelled burning, and I got it out in the nick of time.  Phew!  Below is the bottom of bread flipped out of Dutch oven.

Let it cool on a rack for about an hour or more, then slice and serve with butter if desired. Molly said is should shatter as you slice it, it did.  Molly also said no butter is necessary as the salami is fatty enough and she was right on that too, especially with the cheese I added.  She also said this is best on the first day, but will freeze well wrapped tightly in plastic.  The picture below has butter melting on the warm bread.

We served with homemade chicken soup which she also did on her show.  We didn't use dumplings in it like she did, we had farro in ours.  I am going to make those dumplings another time though!

Was the bread perfection?  No.  Was it stuff it in your face and want another slice?  YES!  I'd totally make this again, but maybe up the dough quantity to fit the loaf inserts.  OMG it was great. The salami found a new level of love to rock in (eh, that sounds dirty, lol).  YUM!!!  Also, perfect for soup dipping...use quality ingredients and you'll taste it in the results...