Today we are preparing Ragusano scacce with parsley and tomato.
The Ragusano scaccia is a dish from the gastronomic tradition of the province of Ragusa, in Sicily.
The Ragusano scaccia with parsley and tomato is a particularly tasty and delightful version of the typical Ragusano preparation.
It’s fuogghi fuogghi the dough is rolled out very thin with a rolling pin, filled, and rolled or folded over itself.
It is filled with parsley, chopped cherry tomatoes, onion, and Ragusano cheese.
The traditional Ragusano scacce dough is made with remilled durum wheat semolina.
The semolina generally has a good glycemic response.
The whole wheat semolina – richer in fiber – remains the recommended choice for those who want a low glycemic index dough.
Excellent are the ancient grain semolinas: Maiorca, Perciasacchi, Russello, Senatore Cappelli, Tumminia.
For more information, you can click on the following link: semolina and flours glycemic index.
With or without yeast.
I recommend using a mixer even though it can be worked by hand.
The Ragusano scaccia is a preparation that requires some manual skill, but do not be discouraged: the scacce don’t need to be perfect to be good!
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
Ingredients
The whole wheat dough is slightly more delicate to handle and roll out.
– if you are a beginner;
– if kneading by hand;
I recommend using remilled durum wheat semolina.
- 4 cups remilled durum wheat semolina (or whole wheat)
- 1 1/4 cups water (lightly sparkling)
- 1 g dry brewer's yeast (Mastro Fornaio PANEANGELI)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- as needed semolina (for rolling the dough)
- 1/2 onion
- as needed cherry tomatoes (cherry or grape)
- as needed basil
- 1 bunch parsley
- cheese (Ragusano provola or primo sale cheese)
- 3 1/2 tbsp water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch dried red pepper (coarsely chopped)
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (raw)
As an alternative to the gram of dry brewer’s yeast, you can use:
– 3 g of fresh brewer’s yeast;
– 4 g of dried sourdough yeast.
You can prepare your Ragusano scacce dough without yeast and shorten the preparation times:
– do not add yeast;
– add a pinch of baking soda.
Suggested Tools
I recommend using a mixer, even though it can be worked by hand.
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Food Scale digital
- Mixer and hook attachment
- Bowl for rising with lid
- Cutting Board pastry board
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Tray 10×11.4 inches
- Parchment Paper
Preparation
The Ragusano scaccia with parsley and tomato is filled with parsley, chopped cherry tomatoes, onion, and Ragusano cheese.
Onion
Peel the onion and slice it thinly.Cherry Tomatoes
Wash the tomatoes thoroughly.
Cut and remove the stalk part if necessary.
Cut each berry vertically into four wedges.Basil
Select and wash the basil leaves.
Drain them in a colander.
Gently pat dry with kitchen paper to remove excess water.Parsley
naturally abundant!
Select and wash the parsley sprigs.
Drain them in a colander.
Gently pat dry with kitchen paper to remove excess water.
Coarsely chop with a knife.Cheese
Cut the Ragusano provola or primo sale cheese into chunks.Rustic Sauce
In a pan:
– add the onion and let it wilt for a few seconds;
– stew with a few ml of water;
– add the tomatoes, add basil, and let it reduce for about 5 minutes on high heat;
– add salt and coarsely chopped dried red pepper.Wait for the rustic sauce to cool.
Add to the cool rustic sauce:
– the chopped parsley;
– the cheese chunks;
a drizzle of oil and mix.For the Ragusano scacce dough without yeast, follow the instructions in the next paragraph: Ragusano scacce dough with yeast but
– do not add yeast;
– add a pinch of baking soda.Knead and let the dough rest at room temperature for about an hour.
After this time, your yeast-free dough will be ready to use.
Heat the water – it should be warm not hot – and dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
Pour the semolina or whole wheat semolina and the oil into the mixer bowl and start the mixer at speed 1.
Continue working at speed 2 for about 10 minutes:
– adding a little at a time the water in which you dissolved the yeast;
– adding salt halfway through, to avoid direct contact with the yeast;
until you obtain an elastic and firm dough.Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it briefly by hand to form a dough ball.
Sprinkle the bottom of a bowl with a little semolina and place the dough ball inside.
Seal the bowl with a lid or by wrapping it with cling film.
Store it in a cool and dark place.4 hours after kneading
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface with a little semolina.
Knead it for a few minutes by hand and shape it back into a dough ball.
Place it back in the bowl, seal it, and store in the same place.24 hours after kneading
* after 24 hours the dough should have doubled or almost;
various factors such as flour, yeast, and environmental conditions affect the leavening.Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface with a little semolina.
Knead it for a few minutes by hand to restore elasticity.
Divide the dough into pieces, from 4 to 8 depending on the size you want to give your scacce.
Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper in which to place the scacce.
Roll out each dough piece with the rolling pin, using a little semolina, until you get a sheet as thin as possible, round or rectangular in shape.
The whole wheat dough is more delicate to handle compared to the classic dough.
It is an alternation of flour, roll, flour, roll, rotate and so on.
It takes manual skill not perfection, and don’t worry if the sheet has some tears.Distribute plenty of filling leaving the edges free.
Fold to close the two sides of the pasta sheet towards the center.Distribute more filling.
Fold from the top towards the center.
Fold once more to close the scaccia.Prick the scaccia with a fork in several places.
[step-by-step images valid for any type of filling].
Place it on the baking tray.
If you have difficulty rolling out the dough, you can use a pasta machine – Nonna Papera – to obtain thin and uniform strips to fill and roll up to prepare small scacce:
– divide the dough into smaller pieces;
– flatten the piece with your hands;
– pass the piece through at 1;
– fold the sheet and pass the folded sheet through at 1;
– finally, pass the sheet through at 6.
Set the oven as follows:
– maximum temperature [430°F];
– convection mode.Preheat well.
Bake for 20 minutes and check the cooking.
* times and temperatures may vary depending on the oven and the size of the scacce.
In my mother’s larger and more powerful oven, 20 minutes are enough, in mine, it takes 30.Your Ragusano scacce with parsley and tomato are ready.
Great both hot and cold, but I recommend waiting for them to be warm.
Enjoy your meal!
The Ragusano scaccia with parsley and tomato and cheese is similar to a pizza margherita but usually has a more favorable glycemic impact.
Add your portion of vegetables to create a balanced meal or single dish that helps keep blood sugar levels stable.You can view the complete collection by clicking on the following link: Ragusano scaccia: dough, types, flavors.
Storage, Tips, and Variations
Gluten-Free Alternative
For a gluten-free Ragusano scacce dough, you can use gluten-free bread flour.
The dough will obviously be less elastic.
If you are from another region and cannot find Ragusano provola or primo sale cheese, you can use another stretched curd cheese.
The filling can be adapted to different dietary needs:
– lactose-free;
– vegan;
– vegetarian.
If you have leftover dough:
– you can use it to prepare delicious flatbreads or whole wheat flatbreads;
– you can freeze it by wrapping the dough ball in cling film; the night before use, transfer it to the fridge to thaw, then leave it at room temperature for a couple of hours before rolling it out.
If they are left over, they are excellent even the next day!
The scacce can be stored:
– at room temperature for 1 day;
– in the fridge for 2-3 days;
– in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Heat them briefly in the oven to restore crispness.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use other flours?
Remember that the dough must always be elastic and firm.
You might not achieve the characteristic result of the Ragusano scaccia.Why sparkling water in the dough?
Sparkling water is used to make the dough lighter and fluffier.
You can also safely use still water.
