Schiacciata - a Tuscan flat bread
Jillian talks about how to make her favorite bread
Schiacciata is a tuscan flat bread. My travels near Florence led me to eat this all the time. During dinner, after dinner, dessert, after dessert, breakfast, I was insatiable. The town where I lived, Vicchio, had a bakery that made schiacciata daily, on huge trays. Here at windward we don't have a huge baking
operation, yet, but I managed to pull together enough for our big mid-day meal.
Jill grinding wheat for her schiacciata bread
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Schiacciata as I know it has always been salty, like a flat breadstick. The following recipe will make one 12 by 8 inch tray, enough for 4 to 6 people.
From The Bread Book by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter
Ingredients:
- 3 cups white bread flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 oz. fresh yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 4 tbls. extra-virgin olive oil
For the topping:
- 2 tbls. extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
- 2 tbls. fresh rosemary leaves
- coarse sea salt, for sprinkling (in a pinch, crushed rock salt works as well)
1. Lightly oil baking sheet
- Sift flour and salt into large bowl and make a well in the center.
- Mix the yeast with half the water.
- Add to the center of the flour with remaining water and olive oil and mix
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and
elastic,about 10 minutes.
2. Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in
warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled.
3. Punch down dough, knead on lightly floured surface.
Roll out a 12 by 8 inch rectangle and place on baking sheet
Brush top with olive oil and cover lightly with oiled plastic wrap
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
5. Let rise, in a warm place, for about 20 minutes, then brush with
remaining oil, prick all over with a fork and sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt
Let rise again in a warm place for 15 minutes
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden.
Serve warm and enjoy!
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