Scaccia Inspired Loaf
Scaccia is a Sicilian lasagna bread. It is almost like a hybrid of pizza and lasagna. It has a crunchy exterior and a soft chewy interior. Scaccia the way it is traditionally made is not yeasted and is made with 100% semolina flour. Scaccia is honestly phenomenal and I highly recommend trying this recipe at least once. This version produces bread like texture and is baked in a loaf pan as opposed to flat on a baking sheet and therefore has a different shape than traditional Scaccia. Of course you can use this recipe as written, “Scaccia inspired”, or make changes to make it more traditional (omit yeast and replace all purpose flour with more semolina flour. You can bring a little taste of Sicily right into your kitchen.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup semolina flour
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons 12g extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 to 3 tablespoons 141 grams to 155 grams water, lukewarm
Tomato Sauce
- One 14.5-ounce can whole tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves peeled (about 1 teaspoon minced)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- pinch 1/16 teaspoon black pepper
- handful fresh basil leaves torn or chopped
- 3 ounces aged provolone sliced and 3 ounces Romano cheese shaved 170g to 227g total
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with a dough hook combine all your dough ingredients, make sure they and knead for about 10-15 minutes on medium.
- The dough is done kneading once you can stretch it paper thin and see through it without the dough ripping.
- Form dough into ball, cover with dish cloth and place in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
To make classic sauce:
- While dough is rise, add all classic tomato sauce ingredients except basil into blender. Blend tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper until they are smooth.
- Add basil and pour into sauce pan and reduce until it becomes a thicker sauce like consistency which may take anywhere for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove sauce from heat and pour into a bowl and set aside. There should be at least one cup of sauce.
To shape the scaccia:
- After the dough is rising, grease a loaf a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. (Grease two of these if you are making more than one loaf).
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- After dough is done rising, transfer to a clean large a greased surface.
- Roll your dough into a very thin rectangle that is about 18 x 24 inches. The dough will be so thin in some areas will be see through.
- Lightly score the dough into 18 x 6 inch length wise quarters just to mark it for your next step.
- Spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce evenly over the center two quarters (or centre two strips) and sprinkle half of your cheese over this.
- Fold over the two outside sections, onto the centre sections overlapping them slightly where they meet. Your rectangle should be about 18 x 12 inches.
- Lightly score your dough horizontally now into four 4 1/2 x 12 inch sections. Spread just under a 1/3 cup of tomato sauce on the centre 2 sections and about 3/4 of the cheese you have left.
- Fold over the top and the bottom over your tomato sauce section and overlap slightly. You should have a rectangle that is 9 x 12 inches.
- Finally, lightly score your dough into 3 sections vertically and spread the remaining sauce over the left two sections and top with the remaining cheese.
- The right third should be un-sauced, fold this section over the centre and finally fold the sauce covered left section to the right. You should have a narrow rectangle that small enough to fit into a loaf pan.
- Place in prepared loaf pan, with the seam up and poke several times with a fork (about 12-20 pokes).
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is dark and blistered in places. My loaf is typically good after 60 minutes. Use a thermometer to check doneness if you are unsure. The interior should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from pan turn onto wire rack and allow to cool for at least 10-15 minute before cutting.
- Cut into slices to serve and serve warm or at room temp.
- Wrap well or place in air right container and store in fridge until ready to eat.
