If you have been to Tuscany you have already had the pleasure of tasting some schiacciata. And if you travelled with small children they would have been handed a slice of it as soon as you walked in a bakery! I use whole wheat dough and add rosemary but you also add olives, chili pepper and sundried tomatoes.
There is only one trick to make a great schiacciata: use A LOT of good Extra Virgin (or it will end up being just a flat bread)!
You can make you own dough using this simple recipe:
- 250 ml of warm water - about 1 cup
- 25 gr dry yeast - about 1 tsp
- 450 gr flour - about 3 cups (one cup white plus two cups whole wheat)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 70 ml extra-virgin olive oil - about 1/4 cup
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes while it reactivates.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, olive oil and dissolved yeast. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rest in warm spot for about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
If you are busy as I am most of the time you can buy one bag of good whole wheat fresh dough. I typically buy the in-house made dough from Tre Mary Bakery or the Nino d’Aversa one from Lady York. I buy a few and keep them in the freezer for a last minute schiacciata or pizza.
- Whatever dough you are using, oil a wide baking pan, sprinkle fresh rosemary sprigs at the bottom and spread out the dough with your fingers across the entire pan.
- Flip the dough so it gets the oil on both sides.
- Add some rosemary sprigs
- With your fingers make dents on the surface and then drizzle olive oil on top, then sprinkle coarse sea salt.
- Let it rest for about 20 minutes while your oven is getting hot. Warm up the oven at 430°
- Bake for 20 min or until the bottom of the schiacciata is hardened (lift with a spatula to check)
Eat it as is in slices or accompany it with pecorino cheese. You can also cut it in two and fill it with prosciutto, a classic Tuscan merenda.
Buon appetito!