Every so often, my mom and my step-dad will take trips and hire me as a babysitter/chauffeur/chef/entertainer for my teenage sisters. And by hire I mean they buy my plane ticket and leave me with the credit card.
...yeah, it's still not always the best idea, but my sisters get excited about it and the house is always standing when they get back, so...
This particular time I went to Texas, Jeremy came too and worked from his computer, and it was even more fun to spend the week with him around. But it also meant I was cooking for 4 or 5 people instead of 2, and I wanted to make something the girls would be excited about eating (yeah, they're teenagers, but still. It was supposed to be a fun week!). I only spent a couple of minutes searching before I found this one, and it quickly became a staple in my recipe arsenal.
This recipe is adapted from a Rhodes blog, so the recipe calls for a loaf of Rhodes bread dough or 12 Rhodes dinner rolls. I've made it with a Rhodes loaf, but I usually make it with my own bread recipe (which has been especially helpful in the UK where I haven't ever found Rhodes bread), because 1) it takes less time overall and 2) it's usually cheaper. If you decide to make it with a Rhodes loaf, just follow the instructions on the package about thawing (something like 2-4 hours for the loaf or 1-2 for the rolls). I'm going to explain it with instructions on how to use a homemade loaf (you don't have to do every step in my homemade bread loaf recipe, and you don't have to let it raise for quite as long either).
Ingredients
- 1 bread dough loaf
- 6 oz spaghetti cooked
- Roughly 1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
- 8 oz block of mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (if you have grated cheese more easily accessible, that works just as well)
- 1-2 egg whites, beaten
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley flakes
- Garlic powder
Bread dough loaf ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (roughly)
Follow the instructions for bread-making (found again here) from the beginning through step 4. The dough needs to double in size so that you can fit all of the spaghetti on the loaf. When the dough has doubled, spread the dough on a greased 12x16 baking sheet (or whatever you've got that's big). Leave to rest while you make the spaghetti.
You can do whatever you want with this spaghetti. Use your favorite spaghetti sauce, add some sausage, extra seasonings, whatever you like. You do want to use thick spaghetti sauce because if it's too runny it will just make your loaf soggy. My husband loves spaghetti drowning in sauce, but I don't go overboard because, again, no one likes a soggy loaf of bread. You can be generous without drowning the noodles (or the loaf!). Mix everything into the spaghetti, and then when it's finished, place the spaghetti down the center of your bread dough in about a 4-inch column.
Kind of like this. I had just plopped the spaghetti on for the sake of a picture, but you need to have at least two inches on each side of the spaghetti for braiding (you can get away with an inch on the ends).
This is the sauce I used for this round (in the UK), and it was delicious. So if you're making it in Oxford... I'd definitely recommend it!
After you have the spaghetti down, top with your grated/cubes of mozzarella. Then cut strips about 1 1/2 inches thick all the way down either side (I do this with kitchen scissors. It's infinitely easier than trying this with a knife). Take the bigger pieces at either end and fold them over the spaghetti, then start a braid with the strips by alternating right over left (or left over right, however you want to start). Tuck the last piece under the strip closest to it.
If you haven't already, beat your egg whites, and then brush the whole loaf with them. If you use a large egg, you may only need one egg, but I use small-medium eggs and always end up using 2, sometimes 3, depending on how generous I decide to be in each section. Season with parsley, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder, and put it in the over at 350 (or 180 and the fan setting in the UK) and bake for 30 minutes, or until it's golden brown. Cool, slice, and enjoy!
Because I'm not particularly skilled at guessing serving yields and sizes, I will tell you this: This can comfortably feed 2 adults who are famished or 4 averagely-hungry adults when served with a side salad. It could also easily be served to a crowd as an appetizer if you slice it like a loaf of bread and cut the whole thing in half. If you make three loaves, it will feed 5 jump ropers after a long day of practice and you will have maybe half a loaf leftover. However, when I made a single loaf for my husband, 12-year-old sister, and 14-year-old sister, I ate a single slice, and in that time the rest of the loaf disappeared, and they asked if I'd made another loaf.
So plan accordingly :)
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