Autumn Pumpkin Sandwich

Happiness, it's a glass of wine with a sandwich...and what a sandwich!

What would autumn be—at the table—without pumpkin? The undisputed queen of this romantic season, it's beloved for its warm color, its sweet and enveloping texture, its distinctive flavor, and its great versatility in the kitchen. These pumpkin sandwiches are made with a simple leavening process, but the result will envelop your home with an intoxicating aroma, giving you a sense of satisfaction that only homemade bread can provide.

A bread that deserves to be filled with a special cheese from our valley: Arin il Fumè di Primiero. The sweetness of the pumpkin in this sandwich meets the flavor and slightly smoky notes of this grilled specialty, the bitterness of the early radicchio, the flavor of the crispy pancetta, and the walnuts.

A sandwich for autumn and beyond, perhaps paired with a glass of excellent Trentino red wine, to spoil and warm the soul, surprising your guests with a casual yet flavorful meal.

DIRECTIONS:

For the bread

1. Steam or bake the pumpkin.
2. Slightly heat half the milk and dissolve the brewer's yeast in it, stirring well with a fork.
3. Blend the cooked pumpkin in a blender with the remaining milk until creamy.
4. Combine the flour with the pumpkin puree, milk, and yeast, and mix by hand or with a mixer. Then add the softened butter, incorporating it well, and finally add the teaspoon of salt. The mixture should be firm and smooth; if it's too sticky, add a little more flour.
5. Shape the dough into a ball and dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in the turned-off oven for about 2 hours (until doubled in size).
6. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and shape them into round rolls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let them rest for another hour, covered with plastic wrap.
7. When the dough is ready, brush with the egg yolk beaten with milk, and sprinkle the surface with pumpkin seeds, if desired.

For the filling

1. In a pan with a drizzle of oil, quickly cook the radicchio leaves for a few minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Then, cook the smoked pancetta until very crispy.
2. Finely chop the walnuts.
3. In a bowl, lightly season the salad.
4. Cut the L'Arin slices in half and cook on both sides for a few minutes in a very hot nonstick pan.
5. Cut the rolls and, if desired, lightly heat the insides in a pan with a knob of melted butter.
6. Then quickly fill them, alternating the ingredients as desired, finishing with the freshly cooked L'Arin sprinkled with chopped walnuts.

RECIPE BY: Silvia Coletto is a food blogger, food photographer, and passionate expert on typical products and traditional recipes from Trentino Alto Adige, and Primiero in particular. On her blog, www.dolcimariemonti.it, special attention is paid to selecting local ingredients. You'll find traditional Dolomite cuisine as well as some new and easy modern interpretations.
You can also follow Silvia and her Cucina delle Dolomiti stories on her social media channels, Instagram and Facebook.