- 1 loaf country bread, crust removed
- 2 yellow bell peppers
- 1 pound ripe, juicy tomatoes, such as Early Girl or Brandywine
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 head Chioggia radicchio
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- ½ cup dry cured black olives, halved and pitted
- 2 tablespoons chopped anchovy
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Arrange the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until the bread is dried out allover, about 10 minutes.
- Raise the oven temperature to 450°F.
- Put the bread cubes in a large bowl and sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons warm water on top. Toss and lightly rub the bread cubes with your hands until they are evenly moist allover. Add a few more teaspoons warm water if necessary, but do not add so much water that you can squeeze it out of the bread. Set aside.
- Put the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the hot oven, turning them over once or twice, until their skins are blistered, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before uncovering. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove and discard their skins and seeds. Do not rinse the peppers, or you will wash away some of the roasted flavor. Cut the peppers into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
- While the peppers are roasting, cut the tomatoes in half and remove and discard the cores and seeds. Cut them into ½-inch cubes. Peel, halve, and seed the cucumber. Cut crosswise at a slant into ¼-inch slices. Cut the radicchio in half and cut out the core. Slice each half crosswise into thin strips.
- In a large bowl, combine the bread, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, radicchio, capers, and olives. Toss together until well combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the anchovies, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, and pour over the bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
- Let the salad stand at room temperature for at least 3 hours, or refrigerate it overnight to allow the flavors to intensify. If refrigerated, let the salad stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Immediately before serving, tear the basil leaves into 1-inch pieces and add them to the salad.