Today we make Ragusan scacce with spinach.
The Ragusan scaccia with spinach is ‘mpanata: the dough is rolled thicker, then filled and closed like a round savory pie or a half-moon calzone with an intricate braid called riefico.
The dough for traditional Ragusan scacce is based on re-milled durum wheat semolina.
You can also prepare it with whole durum semolina stone-milled.
With or without yeast.
The Ragusan scaccia is a preparation that requires a bit of handwork but don’t be discouraged: scacce don’t have to be perfect to be delicious!
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Servings
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian regional
- Region: Sicily
Ingredients
You can prepare your dough without yeast or with yeast.
- 3 cups re-milled durum wheat semolina (or whole durum semolina)
- 1 1/4 cups water (slightly sparkling)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 3 cups re-milled durum wheat semolina (or whole durum semolina)
- 1 1/4 cups water (slightly sparkling)
- 1/3 tsp active dry yeast (Mastro Fornaio PANEANGELI)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 bunches spinach
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (for grinding)
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
The sparkling water helps make the dough lighter and softer.
You can still use plain water if you prefer.
As an alternative to 1 g of dry baker’s yeast you can use:
– 3 g fresh baker’s yeast;
– 4 g dried sourdough yeast.
If you like, you can add to the filling: pitted black olives and sun-dried tomatoes in pieces, Ragusan provola or primo sale cheese cut into cubes, sausage preferably drained of excess fat, walnuts, raisins [not recommended in case of hyperglycemia].
Suggested tools
I recommend using a stand mixer, although it is possible to work the dough by hand.
- Kitchen scale digital
- Stand mixer with hook
- Bowl for proofing with lid
- Board dough board
- Knife
- Board
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet 9 7/8 x 11 3/8 in
- Parchment paper
Preparation
You can prepare your dough for Ragusan scacce without yeast to shorten preparation times.
In the bowl of the mixer pour:
– the semolina or whole semolina;
– a pinch of baking soda;
– the salt;
– the oil;
and start the mixer at speed 1.
Continue working at speed 2 for about 10 minutes:
– gradually adding all the water.
The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and be smooth, elastic and not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and briefly knead it by hand forming a loaf.
Dust the bottom of a bowl with a little semolina and place the loaf inside.
Seal the bowl with a lid or wrap it with plastic wrap.
Let the dough rest at room temperature for about one hour.
After this time, your unleavened dough will be ready to use.Heat the water: it should be lukewarm, not hot.
Pour the lukewarm water into a measuring jug, add and dissolve the yeast.
In the bowl of the mixer pour:
– the semolina or whole semolina;
– the oil;
and start the mixer at speed 1.
Continue working at speed 2 for about 10 minutes:
– gradually adding all the water in which you dissolved the yeast;
– adding the salt halfway through the mixing, so it doesn’t come into direct contact with the yeast.
The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and be smooth, elastic and not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and briefly knead it by hand forming a loaf.
Dust the bottom of a bowl with a little semolina and place the loaf inside.
Seal the bowl with a lid or wrap it with plastic wrap.
Place it in a cool, dark place.
[see photo 01]About 4 hours after mixing [see photo 02]
Turn the dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with semolina.
Knead it a few minutes by hand and reshape it into a loaf.
Place it again in the bowl, seal it and return it to the same place.About 24 hours after mixing [see photo 03]
* after 24 hours the dough should be doubled or nearly so.
Fermentation depends on various factors such as flour, yeast and environmental conditions.
You can use it earlier but the long proof improves digestibility.If very dirty, soak the spinach for half an hour.
Wash them thoroughly under running water to remove any traces of soil and sand.
Let them drain in a colander.
Chop them into pieces.
Add a pinch of salt.
Squeeze the spinach vigorously with your hands to remove all the liquid [which you can set aside to make a good homemade spinach pasta].
Grind the pepper.
Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and mix.
Add any optional ingredients: pitted black olives and sun-dried tomatoes in pieces, Ragusan provola or primo sale cheese cut into cubes, sausage preferably drained of excess fat, walnuts, raisins [not recommended in case of hyperglycemia] and mix.
Your dough for Ragusan scacce, traditional or whole-wheat, is ready to be used for preparing the scaccia.
Once the filling is ready:
– turn the dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with semolina;
– work it a few minutes by hand to restore elasticity and reshape it into a loaf.
You can proceed with rolling out and filling the scacce.
Divide the dough into 4 loaves or into loaves of about 120–150 g each.
Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
Roll out each loaf with a rolling pin, helping yourself with a little semolina, until you obtain a disc about 1/8 inch (3–4 mm) thick.
If the dough tends to contract, let it rest for 5 minutes and resume rolling.
It is a sequence of: flour, roll, flour, roll, turn and so on.
* for a regular shape trim the disc using cookie cutters, plates, bowls or lids.Spread the vegetable filling over half the disc leaving the edges free.
Fold, that is, fold the empty half of the disc over the filled half, closing like a calzone.
Seal the edges well by pressing with your fingers to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
Turn the edge over itself to obtain the characteristic cord or rieficu or simply close as if it were a calzone.
Prick the scaccia several times with a fork.
* grandmother’s trick: if you have prepared scacce with different fillings, prick them with the fork embroidering the initials of the filling, for example: S for spinach.[step-by-step images valid for any type of filling].
Place the scaccia on the baking sheet and proceed in the same way with the other loaves.
I set the oven as follows:
– temperature 356°F;
– fan-assisted mode;
or conventional oven at 374°F.
Preheat well.
Bake until golden for 35–40 minutes, check for doneness.
* times and temperatures may vary depending on the oven and according to the size of the scacce.
For a less rustic appearance brush the surface of the scacce with a little extra virgin olive oil.Your Ragusan scacce with spinach are ready.
Great both hot and cold but I recommend waiting until they are warm.
Enjoy!
If the filling also includes cheese or sausage preferably drained of excess fat the scaccia with spinach can become a complete dish: add your portion of vegetables to compose a balanced meal or one-dish plate that helps keep blood sugar stable.
