Prosciutto Bread/Lard Bread 

If you’re ever in the vicinity of North East Pennsylvania, more specifically Lords Valley, on Route 739 you will run across Fretta and Miletti Pizza And Sausage Company Limited. For all my transplanted Brooklynites you should remember Fretta’s Pork Store from 86th Street under the El. And more recently, Fretta’s Pork Store in Milford, PA. The Milford location closed a number of years ago as Joe Fretta was looking forward to retirement. But alas, you can’t keep a good man down. Recently Joe and his older son Joe Jr., partnered with Paul Miletti. Two legends and masters in their culinary field, Joe and Paul opened Fretta and Miletti Pizza and Sausage Company, 625 Route 739, Lords Valley, PA., phone 570-775-3740. Joe Fretta has raised the bar on all his specialties that include fresh pork Italian sausages, all his homemade cured dry sausages, sopressata, and salami, huge hero sandwiches packed with Italian meats, cold cuts and the best accompaniments to any sandwich. This also includes homemade fresh mozzarella, the imported logs of Italian Provolone that hangs from the rafters giving off that beautiful pungent aroma that you notice as soon as you walk in the door. You get the picture, a true artisan bringing the best of Italian delis’ and salumerias home to you.

Now, as if that weren’t enough, Paul Miletti, third generation pizza maker, is carrying on the family tradition of his grandfather and father bringing you the “area’s best Pizza”. The Miletti family started making pizza in upstate New York in 1938 at The Dash Inn run by Joseph Miletti. In 1968 Nicholas and Delores Miletti opened up The Puzzle Lounge in Jamestown, New York. They developed a reputation in that entire region as “the areas best Pizza”. The way Joe Fretta raised the bar on his delicious food, Paul Miletti has done the same with the Miletti family Pizza. He has certainly raised the bar for pizza in NEPA.

You can’t put a label on the style of Miletti’s pizza. It’s not Sicilian, or Napolitano, nor New York Style or Chicago or Detroit. And there is nothing like it in NEPA. I can only describe it as the best of everything. It’s like the best homemade pizza you ever had, only better. The hardest part of buying a Miletti pizza is the ride home. It’s the smell of every delicious Italian meal you ever had and ever will have. If I ever get stopped by the police speeding home with a Miletti pizza all I have to do is tell the police officer to stick his head in my window and they should understand. You can smell and taste the quality of the pie through and through. The crust is light yet crunchy, the sauce is thick and tangy with just the right amount of sweetness. The mozzarella sits on top of a sea of sauce that is a true sign of grandma’s homemade pizza. Paul also goes the extra step in preparing all his toppings. He uses both spanish and red onions that he sautees in his onion topping. The sausage topping is real homemade Italian sausage, Mushrooms are fresh and sauteed along with his green and red peppers. The meatball topping is homemade as well as the homemade pepperoni topping. He has an extensive list of toppings, but each is fresh and homemade.

Another sign that you are getting amazing food is both Paul and Joe are proud of the meals they are serving you. When Paul makes his pizza he brings it out from the back and shows it to you before it goes in the box, like showing a new born baby to his expecting father in the waiting room. And like all expecting fathers you are getting a prized possession.

Prosciutto Bread/Lard Bread Recipe

Lard has been vilified over the last 50 years. Like so many other food items, including butter and saturated fats, the “experts” told us this stuff was not healthy and told us to use margarine instead of butter and seed oils like Canola and Vegetable oil. We are now finding out that Vegetable oil, although it sounds healthy, is the most processed and unhealthy oil you can put in your body. And we all found out about how unhealthy margarine is. Believe it or not, Crisco was first manufactured in the 19th century from an abundance of cotton seeds. They found a way to extract oil from the cotton seeds but it produced a oil that was dark and smelly. It was used for mechanical lubrication. Then a chemist named David Wesson found a way to bleach and deodorize the oil. After a successful marketing campaign that highly process sludge became Crisco. It was cheaper and easy to obtain. Lard took the back seat to this new shortening.

Today we are finding out how these highly processed oils can cause untold inflammation in the body and many other health concerns. It turns out, butter, olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, lard and saturated fats are not the villains they were made out to be in order to sell more cheaper and processed foods. Have I convinced you to start cooking with lard and bacon fat? Our bodies recognize those substances and will process them way better than the fake stuff. But don’t take my word for it, do your own research.

Anyway, this recipe calls for lard. I use the lard I rendered from the pastured pig I get each year. If you buy lard make sure it’s from pastured pork (you can find lard made from pastured pork on Amazon). If you don’t want to use lard, you can use grass fed butter like Kerry Gold or bacon fat. This bread is also enriched with salty chunks of prosciutto and Pancetta, so either way you’re getting your dose of pork in there. I also use a good imported provolone cheese mixed in with the pork. I assure you this bread is not short on flavor.

Once this bread is baked it is best eaten warm and fresh. Any leftovers can be reheated but once I make this there usually isn’t any leftovers.

• 2 1/4 cups of bread flour, plus more if needed
• 1 packet dry instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp lard (or bacon fat or butter)
• 1/2 cup sharp provolone cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup pancetta, diced
• 8 oz 1/8″ thick cut prosciutto, diced

In a large bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and the sugar. add 1/4 cup of melted lard, salt, pepper and flour and mix until the dough comes together. Knead by hand, or a dough hook in a mixer for 10 minutes. Dough should be sticky,but if it’s too sticky add another tablespoon of flour at a time as needed. Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, cover and let rest for one hour, until doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, fry the diced pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat until rendered and crispy.

Invert dough onto a large sheet of floured parchment paper. Roll it into a large oval about 15″ x12″. Spread the prosciutto, pancetta and provolone on top. Starting from the long end, roll the dough into a log then twist the dough a few turns. Form the dough into a ring and connect the two ends. Cover with a towel and let rise again for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a large cast iron Dutch oven, or pizza stone, or la Cloche bread baker in the oven until it heats. Melt the remaining lard and brush onto the bread. When the oven is heated, remove the cooking vessel or stone and use the parchment to transfer the bread onto it. Cover the bread if you’re using a dutch oven or La Cloche. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown. If covered, remove the cover for the last 15 minutes until dark golden brown. Brush the bread with the lard at least 2 more times while browning. Remove from the oven and brush with remaining melted lard.