Prosciutto Bread, also known as lard bread or ciccioli bread, is the old-school Italian-American meat bread to make for your next holiday gathering. Loaded with pancetta, prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, and provolone, this bread is easier to make than you’d think and is impossible to resist!
This post may contain affiliate links. Our disclosure policy.
The Easter bread everyone wants but can’t find
Around the holidays, namely Christmas and especially Easter, prosciutto bread becomes a coveted item among Italian-Americans. But lately it’s been hard to come by, and only a few bakeries actually still make it.
Because of its obscurity, I’ve had many readers ask me for a prosciutto bread, or lard bread recipe, and I’m happy to bring this one to you just in time for Easter.
Much like sausage bread, prosciutto bread is more of an appetizer than a bread and is perfect alongside other appetizers, but is also fantastic for Easter morning breakfast alongside or in place of pizzagaina.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Dough. I’m making homemade dough with bread flour, instant yeast, fine sea salt, sugar, cold water, and olive oil. If you want to skip making it homemade, any store-bought pizza dough can be used.
- Meat. I’m using a combination of thick-cut pancetta, prosciutto Italiano (not prosciutto di Parma), Genoa salami, and pepperoni All cut into 1/4-inch cubes. You can use any combination of meat you’d like – just be sure that it’s thick-sliced. I don’t recommend using thin-sliced cold cuts for prosciutto bread.
- Cheese. I love the bite that provolone adds to this bread but you could also use mozzarella.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we'll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
How to make prosciutto bread
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Add the water to a large bowl and in a separate bowl, mix together the bread flour, yeast, fine sea salt, and sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of water a little at a time and mix to form a dry, rough mass.
- Pour the olive oil over the dough and mix again, scraping any residue stuck to the side of the bowl, then place the shaggy dough on a clean work surface and knead for 5-7 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, invert a clean bowl over the dough and wait 30 minutes before resuming kneading. Be sure to knead for at least 5 minutes total.
- Pull the dough toward its end repeatedly to form a smooth ball.
- Pinch the seam side and place the dough ball, seam side down, into an oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, but ideally 24 hours before using.
- Remove the dough ball from the fridge 2 hours prior to using but leave it covered. Heat a pan to medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook until it’s crisp, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and press with your hands to open it, then roll it into a rectangular shape, roughly 13×17 inches.
- Sprinkle the pepper over the dough, then distribute the pancetta and the 3 tablespoons of fat on top. Press the pancetta and fat into the dough, then top with the prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, and provolone, leaving a 1-inch perimeter. Use your hands to press all of the meat and cheese into the dough.
- Fold the roll over once, then fold over the sides. Wet the pastry brush with water and brush the seam.
- Roll to form a log shape and place the seam side down, and center the roll on an oiled or parchment-paper-lined baking pan.
- Twist the roll and form the dough into a ring, then cover and let the roll rise for 30-60 minutes before baking.
- Right before baking, beat the egg and add a tablespoon of water to thin it, then brush the eggwash on top of the roll. Cut a few slits into the top of the roll to allow air to escape.
- Bake the prosciutto bread in a 450°F oven for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375°F and continue to bake for another 30 minutes or until the interior is fully cooked through. Use a thermometer to check that the interior is 195-205°F. Place on a wire rack to cool and allow the lard bread to sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
Top tips
- The meat. Be sure to use meat that is sliced thick enough to yield 1/4-inch thick cubes. I don’t recommend using thin-sliced cold cuts for prosciutto bread.
- Cold ferment the dough. If you plan to make your own dough, I encourage you to let it sit for 24-36 hours in the fridge. You definitely can use it after 12 hours, but the longer the dough cold ferments, the better it will taste.
- Twisting the dough and wreath. Some places sell prosciutto bread as a wreath but many do not. If you like it can be baked as a long or short and fat roll. You can be quite aggresive when twisting the wreath. Even if it breaks apart you can press it back together or use a bit of water to attach. Plenty of twists help distribute the meat and give the wreath a more decorative look.
- Leftovers. I love reheating the leftover slices in a frying pan. There’s enough fat in the bread to allow you to fry up some pieces without adding any additional oil. It’s great for breakfast alongside some over-easy eggs.
More recipes you’ll love
If you love prosciutto bread, give these other recipes a try.
If you’ve enjoyed this Prosciutto Bread recipe, give it a5-star rating.
Watch us on YouTube, follow along on our Facebook Page, and become a Patreon member to receive access to exclusive full-meal videos and content.
Prosciutto Bread (Lard Bread)
Loaded with pancetta, prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, and provolone cheese, Prosciutto Bread, also known as lard bread, is the old-school Italian-American meat bread to make for your next holiday gathering.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 1/4 cups bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 11 ounces cold water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the prosciutto bread
- 1 27-ounce dough ball from above or use store bought pizza dough
- 1/3 pound pancetta 1/4" cubes
- 2 cups shredded provolone
- 1/2 pound thick cut prosciutto 1/4" cubes
- 1/4 pound Genoa salami 1/4" cubes
- 1/4 pound pepperoni 1/4" cubes
- 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
Instructions
For the dough
- Place water in a bowl large enough to hold both the water and all the dry ingredients and still have room to spare. Mix together dry ingredients in another bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to water a bit at a time and mix thoroughly to form a dry rough mass.
- Pour the oil over the dough, mix again to scrape off any dough residue stuck to side of the bowl, and place the rough shaggy dough onto a work surface.
- Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, place a clean bowl inverted over the dough and wait 30 minutes before resuming. Return to kneading (just make sure to knead for at least a total of 5 minutes).
- Pull the dough towards its end repeatedly to form a smooth ball. Pinch the seam side and place the dough ball seam side down into an oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 12 but ideally 24 hours before using.
For the prosciutto bread
- Remove the dough ball from fridge 2 hours prior to using, but leave covered.
- Preheat oven to 450°F and set the rack to the middle level.
- Heat a pan to medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is crisp then with a slotted spoon place the pancetta on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat.
- Place the dough onto a floured surface and press with your hands to open it, then roll into a rectangle shape approximately 13×17" in size.
- Sprinkle the pepper all over the dough then distribute the pancetta and 3 tablespoons of saved rendered fat. Press the pancetta and fat into the dough then evenly distribute the prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, and provolone leaving about 1" around all the sides. Press all of the meat and cheese into the dough.
- Fold the roll over one time then tuck in the sides. With a wet pastry brush, brush the seam and roll to form a log shape. Place the seam side down and center the roll on an oiled baking pan or on top of a parchment paper-lined pan. Twist the roll every few inches and form the dough into a ring. Use the wet pastry brush to attach the ring together. Cover with plastic and let the roll rise for 30-60 minutes before baking.
- Before baking, beat the egg and add a tablespoon of water to thin. Brush the eggwash onto the top of the roll. Cut a few slits into the top of the roll to allow air to escape.
- Bake for 10 minutes then turn the heat down to 375°F and continue to bake for another 30 more minutes or until the interior is fully cooked through.
- Let the prosciutto bread sit for at least 10 minutes to solidify and make cutting easier. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dough. Any pizza dough can be used.
- Cheese. Mozzarella can be subbed for the provolone.
- Cured meats. A mix of cured meats is great but you can use all prosciutto or any combination you like.
- Twisting the dough into a wreath. Some bakeries sell prosciutto bread shaped as a wreath, though many do not. If you prefer, it can also be baked as a long loaf or as a shorter, thicker bread/roll. You can be fairly aggressive when twisting the wreath. Even if the dough breaks apart, you can press it back together or use a little water to help seal it. Adding plenty of twists helps distribute the prosciutto throughout the bread and gives the wreath a more decorative look.
- Leftovers. Prosciutto bread can be saved for up to 5 days and should be reheated in the oven at 350°F until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.2g | Protein: 15.7g | Fat: 13.5g | Saturated Fat: 6.3g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 636mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!Check us out on Instagram at @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast!
Follow Me
The Sip and Feast Cookbook
- 100+ recipes
- Essential tools and ingredients
- Entertaining ides
- Stunning photography
This is exciting? Love this bread….my grandmother always made it. Now, I won’t have to go for it, to Arthur Ave. at the holidays. Gracie!