The Syracusan pie is a typical Sicilian dish that combines a leavened dough with a rich filling of sausage, potatoes, broccoli, and cheese.
It is known as impanata (in Sicilian mpanata) in the Syracuse area, but it is generally called Scaccia, a typical Sicilian artisanal baked product, based on bread dough that can be filled in many ways.
The version of Syracusan pie with sausage, potatoes, and chard is called mpanata câ jiti (with jiti in Sicilian, the Italian chard).
My version is gluten-free and cheese-free: the mpanata câ jiti is often prepared with flour, water, salt, and olive oil.
Yeast isn’t always used, although it can be in some local variants. The dough is more similar to a savory shortcrust, but it can also be soft and leavened.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economic
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, Easter
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups rice flour
- 1/3 cups rice starch
- 25 ml gluten-free sourdough starter – optional (0.25 oz of dry yeast)
- 7 oz water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 10.5 oz sausage
- 10.5 oz potatoes
- 10.5 oz chard
- 1.8 oz Sicilian Pecorino
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste olive oil
Tools
- 1 Baking Pan oval
Steps
Prepare the dough (if using sourdough starter):
Dissolve the sourdough starter in lukewarm water with a teaspoon of sugar. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes until it activates and starts bubbling.
In a large bowl, add the flour and salt, mix well.
Pour the water with the yeast and start mixing the dough. Add the olive oil and continue working until you get a soft and elastic dough.
Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.Prepare the filling:
Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are soft, then mash them with a fork or potato masher.
Boil the chard in salted water, drain well and squeeze to remove excess water. Coarsely chop.
Crumble the sausage into a pan and brown it with a drizzle of olive oil until golden. Add the chopped onion and cook until it becomes transparent.
Add the chard and mashed potatoes to the sausage mixture, mixing well.Season with salt, pepper, and, if desired, a bit of chopped rosemary. Also, add the grated pecorino and mix again. Let cool.
Divide the risen dough into two parts.
Roll out the first part of the dough in a baking pan (if using a round size, a 9.5-inch diameter is suitable).
Pour the sausage, chard, and potato filling over the dough base.
Roll out the other half of the dough and cover the filling. Seal the edges by pressing well with your hands.Brush with olive oil.
Poke small holes on the surface to allow steam to escape during baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the mpanata câ jiti for about 30-40 minutes.
To cut, use a sharp knife, like SHANZU that you can purchase with an 8% discount directly at the link.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What are the variants of the scaccia?
The scaccia consists of a leavened bread dough base, laid out in an oval baking pan, filled with broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, spiced meat (sausage or braised meat), and cheeses (tuma).
The distinctive features of the scaccia are its shape and appearance, which must be oval (though there are rectangular or half-moon (a scappuzza in Sicilian, meaning like a small shoe) variants) and a bronze-golden color.
In the Ragusa area, it takes on a rectangular shape; the short side is closed by pressing with the fingers before baking, a technique known as “djiru” or “rieficu.”
The final result is a sort of braid or helix that runs along the closed part.
Ricotta is often favored and combined with onion, vegetables, or sausage; tomato with salted anchovies and parsley is also commonly used.
In the Syracuse area, it is usually filled with potatoes, sausage, cheese, or vegetables like chard.
In the Catania area, there is a preference for onions, potatoes, sausage, cheeses (tuma), anchovies, and vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, or caliceddi.
