Roy S. Sell of Johnstown, Pa., asked, "Does someone have a recipe for Tuscany bread? Tuscany is that region in Italy. Thank you very much."

Shirley M. Greene of Latrobe, Pa., responded with a recipe. "I have baked this bread many times and it is delicious. I got this recipe from PBS TV station WQED in Pittsburgh, Pa., a number of years ago, on a cooking show called 'Ciao Italian,' hosted by Mary Ann Esposito."

Makes one large loaf

1 tablespoon dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

To make sponge (bread-dough mixture), combine 1 tablespoon yeast, 1/2 cup warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. Then add 1 cup flour, mixing lightly. Let sponge stand uncovered overnight.

In the morning, add yeast, water and salt. Work in 4 or 5 cups flour, one cup at a time. Knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Form into a round loaf and place on a cookie sheet until doubled, at least 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown and hollow-sounding when thumped.

Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "Tuscany bread is a free-form bread that develops its flavor from the sponge that is left out overnight. It is usually not very salty, with a medium-fine crumb and not an overly thick crust. This bread is a nice, big round loaf. It is best when still warm and perfect as an accompaniment to a hearty, Italian-style soup. Longer kneading will develop in a crustier crust."

Recipe requests

* Pamela A. Mulshine of Odenton is seeking two recipes. The first is a coconut cake, which her mother made more than 30 years ago. "It makes 3 layers and calls for freshly grated coconut and coconut milk. I also want a recipe called Mexicans, which were available in Martinsburg, W.Va. This was a sandwich that had a hot dog covered by a meat mixture made of hamburger and various spices."

* Nona Lee Lewis of Ellicott City writes that she recently had a delicious dessert called Neiman Marcus Bars and would appreciate having the recipe.

* Lori Bell of Greensburg, Pa., would like to have a recipe for Red Lobster's Raspberry Cobbler. "They don't serve it all the time, but when they do, it is worth the trip. It is served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. One bite and you are in heaven. Could you please find this recipe?"

If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request for a hard-to-find recipe, write to Ellen Hawks, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21278. If you send in more than one recipe, please put each on a separate sheet of paper with your name, address and daytime phone number. Important: Please list the ingredients in order of use, and note the number of servings each recipe makes. Please type or print contributions. Letters may be edited for clarity.

Pub Date: 03/31/99