This is the comment thread for the Breadtopia blog post originally published here:
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This looks mouthwatering good. I’m going to try it.
Question: I don’t understand exactly what you are doing in the adding of the second half of the sofrito. It doesn’t look like, from your instructions, that it is getting mixed in very well. How many times do you stretch and fold the dough at this stage?
Thank you, Annie.
The sofrito doesn’t get mixed in at this stage, just folded. Lay it on the first fold inward (two layers of dough) and continue to fold as per the breadtopia no-knead instructions. If you lay it on before the first fold, the dough is thin and you get a wet look in that part of the loaf.
I hope this makes sense. I’m happy to elaborate more or answer other questions.
This allows for some concentrated areas of flavor in each slice. However if you want a more uniform look and taste, mix all of the sofrito in before the bulk fermentation. That works well too.
Good luck. I’d love to see your final product!
Wow,
Melissa, what a creation! This looks like (I can almost smell it) a wonderful SD treat. I’ll be trying it the next day or so.
Thank You!
Chuck
Chuck,
Thank you. I’m glad you’re interested in trying it out. It does smell pretty amazing. Every time my daughter put a slice in the toaster, the kitchen got an herbal infusion.
Let me know how it goes!
Thank you. You explained it well.
This looks great! If you are a fan of dressing, I suggest you try the Austrian/German Servietten Knödel. This dish is a bread dumpling traditionally made in a cloth napkin and poached in a water bath, but more recently people form the sausage-shaped dumpling in plastic wrap, which is then covered with foil and poached. The “sausages” are then cut in slices to serve. The ingredients are usually bread, herbs, milk and egg, but the ingredients can easily be varied to your taste. They are a wonderful “do ahead” starch to replace potatoes, noodles, rice, etc. We make them through the poaching step on the day before and then microwave when needed. I’m certain there are many versions online. Many thanks!
Allan,
You’re welcome. Thank you too! The Servietten Knodel sounds awesome! I love dumplings and a big sliceable bread dumpling could only be amazing. I’ll get a-googling 
-Melissa
Salt is omitted from the list of ingredients. I estimated and used nuts instead of dried cranberries. Amazing aroma and flavor.
Mbraley,
So glad you like the flavor and aroma. Nuts are a great idea. Did you use walnuts? My mom uses walnuts in stuffing sometimes and I love the change in texture they give you.
Thanks for catching the salt omission. It’s 2 tsp from my notes, but of course that should be guided by preference. Will update the recipe.
Melissa
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Nuts are a great Idea, my mother put chopped, roasted chestnuts in her stuffing. Def added a new flavor level.
Like “nutty” your idea ML.
Thanks
C
Thanks, Melissa, for this wonderful recipe. It smelled great while sautéing the sifroto, it smelled fantastic while baking, and it tasted terrific with dinner. My wife and I really enjoyed it.
Richard,
So beautiful! Thank you for sharing the picture. I’m glad you and your wife enjoyed making and eating the stuffing bread.
-Melissa
Interesting idea. One question… if you want to replicate the taste of stuffing, wouldn’t it make sense to use turkey or chicken stock rather than plain water?
What is the reason
for not using extra virgin olive oil.
I like how you think! That would be really neat. There is protein in chicken stock and that might slow fermentation a tiny bit. This is only a guess based on when I used liquid whey leftover from cheese making.
Additionally, you may want to eat up the bread fast or refrigerate/freeze it at the end of day 1. It’s got a fair amount non-bread stuff in it as it is, and a meat-ish product might make it more perishable. Again, a guess.
I’d love to hear how it goes if you make it. Sounds delicious.
It’s a personal flavor preference of only – it’s milder and the other flavors get to shine. There’s a little “I don’t have to worry as much about smoke point” thrown in there too. I stir fry a lot and with olive oil pretty exclusively, and can heat the pan hotter if it’s not extra virgin.
I do love extra virgin olive oil in salads, bruschetta, pa amb tomaquet (toasted crusty white bread drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with tomato but no chunks or pieces) and more.
No reason not to use it in this recipe, though, if you prefer extra virgin.
Sadly, I just returned home from an extended trip and found my 3-week unattended starter had some mold on it. Oddly, just around the container above the starter itself. Anyway, I threw it away to be safe. With Thanksgiving and Christmas travel upcoming, I don’t think I will have a chance to create a new starter until 2018.
That’s too bad about your starter. Next time if it happens you can probably scoop out an unmoldy portion and build off that. Your nose and how it grows should be a good guide as to whether everything is okay. Most starter instructions I’ve read say if mold is growing on the top of the actual starter itself you can still scrape it away and keep going.
Nonetheless, I think it’s fun to build a starter. I hope you get time to do it soon!
Hi and thanks for the yummy recipe. Just to confirm, do you mean dried thyme and sage leaves (ground would be quite potent)? Can I use fresh herbs if I don’t have dried? If so, I assume use a little more than recipe calls for. Thanks!