Makes 1 large loaf
GROWING UP, IT WAS MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER, JERRY FOROPOULOS, WHO did much of the cooking for our big, loud extended family. It was he of strong hugs, Memphis roots, and thanks to his Greek and Sicilian genes, bearer of that insane last name—who ran the stove like a DJ, multiple pots and pans going at once, like his famous red gravy (never “sauce”) clattering with pork neck bones. It was umami-packed before umami was a thing, with a flavor no one in our family has ever been able to replicate.
Grampa passed away suddenly at the beginning of my eighth grade year, the first real, important, heartbreaking death I experienced. These days, pots of his red gravy appear in my dreams whenever I’ve spent a little too much time working and not enough time with family. I always wake up a little hungry, knowing it was him, sending me that message in a way I understand.
During those family dinners in my formative years, the main dish was mostaccioli with that red gravy, and let’s just forget the salad, okay? Alongside would be a scratched wooden bread board with thick slices of Italian bread and knife-shattered golden crumbs, manna from heaven with a combination of thin, crisp crust and a stellar, airy, almost cottony interior. There’s simply no better utensil for squeegeeing your pasta plate, elbow to elbow around the table.
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons/197 g warm water (110° to 115°F/43° to 46°C)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
2½ cups/320 g unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus a pinch for egg wash
3 tablespoons/24 g yellow cornmeal
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the warm water, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and the yeast and sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Fit the dough hook onto the mixer. Knead on medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes.
Lightly flour a work surface. Turn out the dough and pat it into a rough 10 × 15-inch/25 × 38 cm rectangle. Tightly roll up the dough lengthwise, as you would for cinnamon rolls (see here for more details). Pinch the seam tightly, as well as the 2 ends, and tuck the ends under to form a smooth, slightly oblong loaf.
Line a 12 × 17-inch/30 × 43 cm baking sheet with parchment paper and scatter it with the cornmeal. Lay the loaf, seam-side down, on the pan. Brush the top and sides with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 24 hours ahead.
Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 425°F/220°C. Pull the loaf from the refrigerator and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut 3 or 4 diagonal slashes in the top of the loaf. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400°F/200°C. Bake for 15 more minutes. In a small cup, beat the egg white with the water and a pinch of sea salt. Remove the pan from the oven. Brush the loaf with the egg wash. Return the pan to the oven and bake until golden and crisp on the outside, about 5 minutes more (the internal temperature should register at least 190°F/88°C on an instant-read thermometer). Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.