Scaccia
4-6
servings
Main
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
3 c
durum semolina flour
1 tsp
salt
2 tbsp
olive oil, plus extra for brushing the top of the scaccia
1 c
water
Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp
olive oil
3-4
salt-cured anchovies stored in olive oil (a not-so-secret ingredient that adds notable depth of flavor), jarred or canned
3-5
cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes
42 oz
crushed canned tomatoes
Salt to taste
Handful basil leaves
Filling #1
½
bunch fresh basil
½ lb
thinly sliced caciocavallo or Pecorino cheese
Filling #2
½
bunch fresh basil
1 sm
eggplant, sliced, pan-fried in olive oil
1 c
fresh ricotta cheese
Grated Parmesan
I like my scaccia on the saucy side, so I scaled up the amount of sauce. Any leftover sauce is ideal for dunking the scaccia. I divided the dough in half and made one version with tomato, basil, and cheese, and a second version with tomato, pan-fried eggplant, fresh ricotta, grated Parmesan, and basil. Use this as a guide, but definitely feel free to swap in your favorite fillings.
Directions
- Place the semolina flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil. Slowly add the water, mixing until completely combined. Remove from the bowl and knead 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth. Cover with plastic and let rest 30 minutes.
- For the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan. When hot, add the anchovies, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and pinch of red pepper flakes, and sauté another minute. Add the tomatoes, season with salt, tear up a few basil leaves and add to the sauce. Bring to a boil, decrease heat, and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes, until thickened. Taste, adding more seasoning as needed.
- With a baking stone in it, preheat your oven to its maximum temperature for at least 1 hour. You want the stone to be piping hot.
- Once the stone is heated, divide the dough in two. Keep one piece wrapped in plastic. Lightly dust your work surface with semolina. Roll out the dough, very thin, into a rectangle (for ease of transfer, I like to roll the dough on parchment paper). Spread a thin layer of sauce. Lay cheese on top. Add a few torn basil leaves.
- Lengthwise, fold the right and left sides in so they meet in the middle. Spoon another thin layer of sauce, cheese, and basil. Widthwise, fold the top and bottom ends in so they meet in the middle. Repeat with another thin layer of sauce, cheese, and basil. Fold the dough in half like a book. Brush the top lightly with olive oil.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough, layering and folding.
- Reduce temperature to 400°F. With a pizza peel, slide the scaccia (on its parchment) on to the hot stone and bake until the top is crispy and well-browned, about 60 to 70 minutes.
Linda Schneider
Linda Schneider is a home cook who is obsessed with good food and all things local. Follow her adventures at Wild Greens and Sardines.