Today, we prepare Ragusan scacce with spinach using either a whole wheat or traditional scacce dough.
The scaccia with spinach is ‘mpanata, meaning filled: the dough is rolled thick and folded like a round savory pie or crescent-shaped calzone with a detailed decoration called riefico.
It’s stuffed with spinach and flavored with sun-dried tomatoes.
The traditional Ragusan scacce dough is based on re-milled durum wheat semolina.
I prepared my dough with stone-ground whole wheat semolina, alternatively whole wheat flour or ancient grain flour.
The procedure is identical, but the whole wheat dough is slightly more delicate to handle and roll out.
If you’re a beginner, I recommend using re-milled durum wheat semolina.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 cups re-milled durum wheat semolina (whole)
- 2/3 cup water (slightly sparkling)
- 1 tsp dry yeast (Mastro Fornaio PANEANGELI)
- 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups re-milled durum wheat semolina (or whole)
- 1 1/4 cups water (slightly sparkling)
- 1 tsp dry yeast (Mastro Fornaio PANEANGELI)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- whole wheat dough for Ragusan scacce
- as needed semolina (for rolling the dough)
- 2 bunches spinach
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- as needed sun-dried tomatoes (if in oil, well drained)
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
• Traditionally, raisins are added to spinach, not recommended for hyperglycemia;
• Besides sun-dried tomatoes, you can add chopped black olives.
I used 1 tsp of dry yeast [for up to 4 cups of semolina/flour].
Alternatively, you can use:
• 3 tsp of fresh yeast;
• 4 tsp of dried sourdough.
* 7 tsp of dry yeast corresponds to 25 tsp of fresh yeast, check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Suggested Tools
- Colander
- Rolling Pin
- Fork
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
Preparation
Dough for Ragusan Scacce with Yeast
For the traditional or whole wheat dough, work in the mixer: semolina, oil, warm water with dissolved yeast, and add salt halfway through until you get a firm and elastic dough ball to rest in a closed bowl in the darkest and coolest room of the house.
After 4 hours, knead the dough again and let it rest.
After about 24 hours, the dough will be ready to roll out and fill.Detailed procedure → Traditional and whole wheat dough for Ragusan scacce.
Dough for Ragusan Scacce without Yeast
• Do not add yeast;
• Add a pinch of baking soda.
Knead and let the dough rest for an hour at room temperature.
After an hour at room temperature, your yeast-free dough is ready to use.Soak the spinach for half an hour.
Wash them thoroughly under running water to remove any soil and sand residues.
Let them drain in a colander.Cut them into pieces.
Add a pinch of salt.
Squeeze the spinach with your hands energetically, extracting the juice*.
* You can set it aside to prepare homemade eggless whole wheat pasta with green spinach color.
Grind the pepper.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes chopped or coarsely chopped.
Add a drizzle of oil and mix.
Knead the dough by hand to restore elasticity and divide it into balls:
• Dough from 250 g of semolina into 2-3 balls;
• Dough from 500 g of semolina into 4-5 balls.Use semolina and a good rolling pin.
Whole wheat dough is more delicate to handle than classic dough.Roll out a ball with the rolling pin to obtain a dough disk about 1/8 inch thick.
Help yourself by sprinkling a pinch of semolina on the work surface and on the dough disk as you roll it out.
It’s a sequence of flour, roll, flour, roll, rotate and so on.Spread the vegetable filling on half of the disk, leaving the edges free.
Fold or turn the empty half of the disk over the filled half, closing like a calzone.
Seal the edges with your fingers.
Turn the edge over itself to obtain the characteristic riefico or simply close it like a calzone.
Pierce the scaccia with the fork in several places.
[step-by-step images valid for any type of filling].
* Grandma’s trick: if you’ve prepared scacce with different fillings, prick them with the fork, embroidering the initials of the filling, e.g., S for spinach.Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the scacce on top.
I’ve set the oven as follows:
• Temperature 356°F;
• Fan mode.
Temperature and times may vary from oven to oven and depending on the size of the scacce.
• Preheat the oven well.
• Bake for about 45 minutes in a fan oven and check for cooking.If you want a less rustic appearance, brush the surface of the scacce with a drizzle of raw oil.
Your scacce with spinach are ready.
Great both hot and cold, but I recommend waiting until they’re warm.
Enjoy your meal!
Variations
You can use dough and filling to prepare:
• A savory pie filled with spinach;
• A focaccia filled with spinach;
in a rectangular or round pan to be served in slices.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
From a Nutritional Perspective
From a nutritional perspective, note that:
– In the scacce with spinach there are no protein sources.
• Before the scacce, consume a generous portion of raw or cooked vegetables;
• Respect your portion sizes.Dialectal Curiosities
The scaccia with vegetables is variously known from Ragusa to Modica and surroundings as:
• scaccia;
• pastizzu if round-shaped;
• buccatieddu if crescent-shaped.Traditions
It is tradition to prepare the scaccia with spinach round for the Table of St. Joseph: u pastizzu ri spinaci e passulidi [raisins].
