Homemade Panini

The best panini recipe, made with Kevala's Organic Olive Oil. Serve it with soup or even salad.

INGREDIENTS

For the bread

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Kevala Raw Honey
• 1 Tbsp dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp Kevala Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• Kevala Organic Sesame Seeds

For the panini

• 1 Tbsp Kevala Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 slices Cheddar cheese
• 3 slices of ham
• 1 slice firm-ripe tomato
• 1 thin slice onion 

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and honey.

2. Add the yeast, butter, and enough warm water to make a soft, sticky dough. Add a little more flour or more water if necessary to get the right consistency.

3. Knead the dough by hand or with an electric stand mixer and dough hook for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic; the dough should remain tacky (using a stand mixer is the easier way).

4. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, gather it up into a mound, and turn it over. Cover the bowl with plastic and then a towel and set aside to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes in a warm kitchen or an hour in a cool kitchen.

5. Divide the dough into 10 plum-sized balls. Set the balls of dough on a lightly floured surface, cover, and leave to rest for about 20 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take a ball of dough and spread and shape it into a flat, oblong roll about 6 inches in length. Transfer it to the prepared pan and repeat with the remaining dough, allowing space between each roll for expansion.

7. Cover and leave the rolls to rise for 30 to 60 minutes, once they rise, top the panini rolls with Sesame Seeds. 

8. Place the panini rolls in the middle of the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, or until set and barely colored. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing lengthwise along one side and building paninis.

9. Drizzle Olive Oil on one side of each bread slice. Spread 1 Tbsp mayonnaise on top of the other side of each slice. Pile cheddar cheese, ham, tomato, and onion on top. Top with the other bread slice (with mayonnaise side down)

10. Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add a little olive oil. Place the panini on the grill; weigh it down with a heavy pan. Cook until cheese is melted, for about 3 minutes per side.

11. Serve warm and enjoy!

NOTE: This recipe is perfect for a family of four, you can double the recipe if serving a larger group.