Recipe for a fluffy Florentine schiacciata: how to make the preferment (lievitino) for pastries, tips for a tall Florentine schiacciata, firm Chantilly cream for filling, traditional Florentine orange cake.
The main problem with this recipe is often the texture: many end up with a dry cake or, on the contrary, a dough that doesn’t rise well and remains “gummy.”
This happens because people tend to add all the ingredients together, overloading the yeast.
My solution uses a preferment (lievitino), which guarantees an incredible vertical rise, and a specific gluten development technique to make the dough elastic and able to hold all the orange aromas.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Moderate
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 2 pans 24 cm (9.5 in) or one rectangular 35×25 cm (about 14 x 10 in)
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients — Florentine Schiacciata
- 1/3 cup milk (about 75 ml)
- 0.5 oz fresh baker's yeast (or 4–5 g (about 1–1/2 tsp) active dry yeast)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (100 g)
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (200 g)
- 2 1/2 cups Manitoba flour (high-gluten / bread flour) (300 g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- 2 orange zest (organic)
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup orange juice (about 150 ml)
- 1 tsp salt (6 g)
- 10 tbsp butter, softened (140 g)
- 2 cups heavy cream for whipping (500 g)
- 1/3 + 1 tbsp cup powdered sugar for the cream (50 g)
- 1 pod vanilla bean
- powdered sugar (for dusting)
- unsweetened cocoa powder (for decoration)
Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Stand mixer
- 2 Springform pans
- Hand mixer
Recipe — Fluffy Florentine Schiacciata
Mix the milk and yeast, then combine them with the 100 g of flour until you create a sticky batter. Cover with plastic wrap (not touching the surface) and let rest for 1½ hours. This step is the “engine” of your cake: without a strong preferment, the schiacciata will never be a cloud.
In a stand mixer (dough hook) or by hand, combine the flours, the preferment, orange zest, orange juice, eggs and sugar. When the mixture starts to come together, add the salt. Only at the end add the softened butter bit by bit. Knead for 10–15 minutes: the dough should become glossy and elastic. If it is sticky, oil your hands to work it more easily.
Divide the dough into two greased and lined 24 cm (9.5 in) pans. Stretch it with your fingertips and let it rise for 2–3 hours until doubled in size. Bake in a conventional oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes on the lower rack. Always do the toothpick test before removing it from the oven.
The secret is the cold: place the bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes. Whip the cream with the vanilla and powdered sugar until firm (do the upside-down bowl test!). Warning: if you overwhip, it will turn into butter. Once the bases are completely cool, fill and decorate with powdered sugar and the Florence lily stencil using cocoa powder.
Storage
The filled schiacciata should be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 days because of the cream. If you do not fill it, it will stay soft under a glass dome for 3–4 days.
Preferment and Substitutions
The preferment: instead of 15 g fresh yeast you can use 4–5 g of dry yeast.
The dough: in the traditional recipe lard was used; if you want to stay true to the original, replace the 140 g of softened butter with 110 g of lard (about 1 US stick).
Chantilly cream: instead of Chantilly cream you can use pastry cream or mascarpone cream.
Recipe Variations
Cocoa version: replace 40 g of the all-purpose flour in the dough with 40 g (about 1/3 cup) of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder.
Spiced: add cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves for a more intense aromatic profile.
Alternative fillings: try pastry cream or diplomat cream.
Tips
Oiled hands: The dough is highly hydrated and sticky; use oil on your hands to spread it without stress.
Patience with the cold: Never fill the schiacciata until it is completely cool, or the cream will melt instantly.
The sugar: Do not reduce the amounts; this cake is naturally not very sweet.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Can I use a rectangular pan?
Yes, you can use a 35×25 cm (about 14 x 10 in) rectangular pan instead of the two round ones.
How long should it rise in winter?
The cold slows everything down: it may take more than 3 hours. Place it in the turned-off oven with the light on.
I don’t have the stencil, what can I do?
You can print it from the internet by searching for “Giglio di Firenze template” and cut it by hand.
