1-pound loaf country-style bread
1/4 cup olive oil
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
3 dried ancho chile peppers, soaked for 1 hour, drained, seeded, and roughly chopped, or 2 fresh poblano chile peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded (either pepper is optional, but makes a really nice addition to the resulting sauce)
1/2- to 1-inch piece fresh serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup almonds and/or hazelnuts, roasted
2 to 3 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded (I use canned whole plum tomatoes, drained)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (this, too, is optional, although it’s particularly useful in the absence of the optional ancho or poblano chile peppers)