Do you need a drinking buddy? Sure we all do…and today I’m inviting ham and a loaf of french bread in tube that I got free with a coupon and some cheese!
My first job outside of the family restaurant was working at a chain bagel shop, (it rhymes with hindstein’s) and I usually worked counter but my true love was baking! Well sorta baking…we would get the dough pre-formed, frozen, from corporate, we would defrost, top, and proof then bake in a huge rotating oven. My favorite were always the asiago, and I decided with my free tube of dough I would pay homage to the wonderful few years at the bagel shop topping pre-made dough with cheese, which ended when I decided to miss three shifts to go to Park City with my friends…not the best way to quit… I also would sneak my CD’s into the player that played in the front, I still remember covertly placing “Hello Nasty” here’s a taste if you need the full experience and “The miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in the Sony disk changer (Oh the late 90’s!)and one time I thought my coworker was coming in the back so I started spraying the sprayer…it was our new, uptight manager with helmet hair, I soaked her and ruined her terrible hairdo’…LOL, so my days were numbered anyhow…I was 17 and teenagers aren’t the sharpest knives on the rack. The dough is Pillsbury simply rustic french bread and I must say its a cool product, it doesn’t contain additives and preservatives and was perfect for this recipe…you honestly would be suprised how few restaurants and stores make things from scratch so it’s perfectly acceptable to use a convenience product here and there especially with the new options available and especially when the price is free, fifty, free. Pair this with beer and dijon mustard and listen to some tunes from 1998, and feel the burn of nostalgia.
You will need:
1 tube of french bread
3-6 slices of deli ham, depending on size, mine were large and in charge so I only needed 3
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
a pinch of two of smoked paprika
sheet pan
some pan prep spray or butter, whatever you like to lube up with.
Pre-heat the oven to 350. Un pop your can of dough…this is my favorite part, I like to give it a good slappin on the counter..POP! Cut your dough into three pieces, cut each piece lengthwise and press into a square, add a slice of ham to each piece, roll up, and cut into four pieces, they will look like a savory version of a cinnamon roll. Spray sheet pan or grease to your fancy. Put the cheese on a plate and press each dough roll into the cheese and place on the sheet pan cook 12-15 until puffy and golden! These are fun for a cocktail party or even for the kids.
