Sardenaira is a variant of focaccia and is a typical dish from Sanremo. I play at home since I’m from Sanremo, and along with farinata, Focaccia di Recco, and panissa it’s part of my top list! Sardenaira dates back to the 1500s.
Unlike pizza, Sardenaira has a thicker and softer dough, similar to focaccia. Moreover, it does not contain mozzarella but tomato sauce, oregano, anchovies, Taggiasca olives, and garlic. In this version, it’s without, as you can find the recipe with garlic here.
It owes its name to salted sardines, which were once the main ingredient. Today, however, anchovies are more frequently used.
It is so rooted in local tradition that it is considered a true gastronomic symbol of Sanremo.
Impossible to visit Sanremo without stopping at a tavern and savoring it. Great as a snack but also as a quick lunch or dinner.
Various are the doughs, and the one I propose today is what the elders used to make, and in my opinion, the best. From the aroma it emits and spreads throughout the house to the amazing final result.
The best baking is in a wood-fired oven, but even in an electric oven, it’s exquisite.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons compressed yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- to taste Taggiasca olives
- to taste dried oregano
- 7 oil-packed anchovies
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking pan
- Plastic wrap
Steps for the dough
To prepare sardenaira, we start with the dough. First, dissolve the yeast in 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water with a teaspoon of granulated sugar that helps with leavening. You can also use an envelope of dry yeast.
In a bowl, combine the ingredients in this order: flour, the dissolved yeast in water, extra virgin olive oil, and lastly the salt. Start kneading energetically for at least 10 minutes until you get a homogeneous and compact dough, as in the photo.
Let it sit in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, making small holes to allow it to breathe, and let it rise for at least 6 hours. The longer it rises, the more digestible it will be. After the rising time, grease our aluminum baking pan 16×12 inches and spread the dough with your fingertips, see photo, leaving grooves and let it rest for half an hour.
After the rising time, preheat the electric static oven to 392°F, and in the meantime, season the sardenaira with salted and seasoned tomato sauce with extra virgin olive oil, add oregano, olives, and the anchovies cut into even slices.
Bake at 392°F for about 30 minutes until you get a light golden color.
And enjoy your meal from Barbara…
Storage and Tips
Sardenaira is also great consumed the next day if first reheated in the oven.
Once cooked, let the Sardenaira cool at room temperature
Wrap it in a paper towel (preferably absorbent) or plastic wrap
Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. Before consumption, to regain some of its crispiness, reheat it in a preheated oven at 350°F for a few minutes.
You can freeze sardenaira but make sure to wrap it well to prevent the air from altering its texture and store it in the freezer for no more than a month. Thaw it in the fridge, then reheat it in the oven to recover the crispiness.
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