Ham in bread dough – ancient Roman

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg ham (rolled ham), smoked or salted
• 200 g fig(s), dried
• 3 bay leaves
• 500 g flour (whole wheat flour)
• 300 ml water, lukewarm
• ½ cube of yeast
• 1 large onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp honey
• salt and pepper
• possibly olive oil
• Honey

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

For the bread dough: Knead the water, flour, onion, honey, yeast, and salt into a dough (or use a food processor to do the work), adding a dash of olive oil if desired. Place in a bowl and let rise in a warm place. Meanwhile, cook the ham with the figs and bay leaves until half cooked. Then remove the skin and make a few cross-shaped cuts on the top, filling the cuts with honey. Wrap the ham in the bread dough (for a creative idea, shape the dough into a pig’s head; this is a hit with guests!) and bake for about 45 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. The result is a dish that was already eaten at banquets by the ancient Romans.