Neapolitan sandwiches

A well-known song by Pino Daniele is dedicated to Fortunato, who tene 'a rrobba bella, referring to the delicacies he used to sell around Naples by transporting food on a specially used stroller. He was well known for his excellent taralli suet and pepper and more. Neapolitan sandwiches, also known as pagnottielli or pagnuttielli, were one of the many specialties that he promoted in the streets, drawing attention with a whistle, screams or a bell! These are soft sandwiches made with pizza dough - sometimes enriched with a little lard just as it is used for tortano or casatiello - which are stuffed with eggs, sausages and mozzarella. An original way to reuse leftover leavened dough and which has given rise to myths and legends about this preparation. There are those who prepare them as we present them, those who instead like a stuffed sandwich and even those who propose balls from which the pieces of filling come out ... lard yes, lard no is purely discretionary. In short, our research stopped at some point but we are sure of one thing: Neapolitan sandwiches are among the Neapolitan street food that you will hardly be able to resist!

INGREDIENTS

for 8 buns

Flour 450 g

Water 125 g

Whole milk 125 g

Fresh brewer's yeast 15 g

Lard 20 g

Salt up to 10 g

For the filling

Mortadella whole piece 125 g

Neapolitan salami whole piece 125 g

Spicy provolone 125 g

Boiled eggs 4

Pecorino Romano PDO to be grated 30 g

Black pepper to taste

for brushing

Egg yolks 1

Fresh liquid cream to taste

Preparation

To prepare the Neapolitan sandwiches, first pour the crumbled yeast and water into a large bowl. Stir with a fork to dissolve it, then add the milk. Also add the salt and about 2/3 of the flour. Then mix with a wooden spoon, then add the remaining flour and mix again. When the flour has been completely absorbed, transfer the dough to the surface; Add the lard and knead until you get a homogeneous mixture. Form a ball and put it in a bowl to rise, covering it with plastic wrap. Let it rise for a couple of hours or until doubled. Meanwhile, take care of the filling. Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover them with water and cook them for 9 minutes from boiling. Meanwhile, cut the salami and mortadella into cubes and cheese. As soon as the eggs are cooked, cool them under running water and shell them. Cut them into slices and mash them with a fork in another bowl. Add the cubes of cold cuts and cheeses and mix. When the dough has doubled in volume Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and with the help of a little flour roll it out until you get a 40x35 cm large rectangle. Pour the filling and distribute it with your hands evenly. Add plenty of black pepper. Sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese. Roll up on the shorter side. Once finished, close the ends well, sealing it with your fingers. Transfer to a tray lined with parchment paper and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After this time it will be easier to cut it into 8 equal pieces. Place them gradually on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Beat one egg yolk with a little cream or milk and use it to brush Neapolitan sandwiches. Bake in a preheated static oven at 200 ° C for about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool before serving.

Preservation

Neapolitan sandwiches can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. However, we recommend heating them before serving.

Advice

Instead of lard you can use the same amount of extra virgin olive oil, or even the same amount of butter. To make the dough, if you prefer, you can replace the milk with the same amount of water. You can use the cold cuts you prefer and also choose other types of cheeses.