Today we prepare the Ragusan scaccia with tomato and cheese using whole wheat or traditional dough for scacce.
The Ragusan scaccia with tomato and cheese is the most well-known and appreciated version of the typical Ragusan preparation.
It is fuogghi fuogghi meaning in layers, and the dough is rolled very thin.
It is filled with tomato sauce and Ragusan cheese.
… simple but delicious!
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 process is the same, the whole wheat dough is slightly more delicate to handle and roll.
If you are a beginner, I recommend using re-milled durum wheat semolina.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz re-milled durum wheat semolina (or whole wheat)
- 2/3 cup water (slightly sparkling)
- 1 g dry yeast (Mastro Fornaio PANEANGELI)
- 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 17.6 oz re-milled durum wheat semolina (or whole wheat)
- 1 1/4 cup water (slightly sparkling)
- 1 g dry yeast (Mastro Fornaio PANEANGELI)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- whole wheat dough for Ragusan scacce
- as needed semolina (for rolling the dough)
- homemade tomato sauce (plenty)
- as needed basil
- as needed mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- as needed cheese (Ragusan: caciocavallo, primo sale or provola)
Alternatively to 1 g of dry yeast, you can use:
• 3 g of fresh yeast;
• 4 g of dried sourdough yeast.
* 7 g of lyophilized yeast corresponds to 25 g of fresh yeast, check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Suggested Tools
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Preparation
Dough for Ragusan Scacce with Yeast
For the traditional or whole wheat dough, use a mixer: semolina, oil, lukewarm water with dissolved yeast, and add salt halfway through until you get a firm and elastic dough to rest in a closed bowl in the dark in the 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 be rolled and filled.Detailed process → Traditional and Whole Wheat Ragusan Scacce Dough.
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 dough without yeast is ready to use.Tomato Sauce
Prepare plenty of tomato sauce.
Mom’s recipe → Homemade Tomato Sauce.
Ragusan Cheese
Cut the Ragusan caciocavallo or Ragusan primo sale or Ragusan provola cheese into thin slices or pieces.Knead the dough by hand to restore elasticity and divide it into dough balls:
• dough with 8.8 oz of semolina into 4 balls;
• dough with 17.6 oz of semolina into 8 balls.Now you need to roll the dough as thin as possible.
Help yourself with the semolina and a good rolling pin.
The whole wheat dough is more delicate to handle compared to the classic dough.Roll a dough ball with the rolling pin into a circular or rectangular sheet as thin as possible.
Help yourself by dusting a pinch of semolina on the work surface and on the dough sheet as you roll it out.
It is an alternation of dust, roll, dust, roll, rotate and so on.
Manual dexterity is required, not perfection, and do not worry if the dough has some tears.Distribute plenty of tomato sauce on the round or rectangular dough sheet, leaving a few mm of edge free.
Distribute the Ragusan cheese.Fold the two sides of the dough sheet towards the center.
Distribute the tomato sauce on both sides.
Distribute the Ragusan cheese.Fold from the top towards the center.
Fold once again to close the scaccia.
Poke the scaccia with a fork in several places.
[step-by-step images valid for any type of filling].Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the scacce on top.
Alternatively, you can use a pasta machine – Nonna Papera.
• divide the dough into smaller balls;
• flatten the ball with your hands;
• pass the dough ball at 1;
• fold the sheet;
• pass the folded sheet at 1;
• finally, pass the sheet at 6.
You will get thin strips of dough to fill and roll on themselves to prepare small scacce.
I set my oven as follows:
• maximum temperature [428°F];
• fan mode.
Temperature and times may vary from oven to oven and depending on the size of the scacce.• heat the oven well.
• bake for about 20 minutes in a fan oven and check the cooking.
In my mother’s larger and more powerful oven, 20 minutes are enough, in mine it takes 30.It is likely that the cheese will ooze out of the edges of the scacce, do not worry, they will be even more delicious.
Your Ragusan scaccia with tomato and cheese is ready.
Great both hot and cold, but I recommend waiting until they are warm.
Enjoy your meal!
Variations
What can be used instead of Ragusan cheese?
If you are from another region and cannot find Ragusan cheese, you can use another stretched-curd cheese such as provolone or provola.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
From a Nutritional Point of View
From a nutritional point of view, keep in mind that:
– for dough leavening and ingredients, the Ragusan scaccia with tomato and cheese resembles a margherita pizza.
• before the scacce consume a large portion of raw or cooked vegetables;
• respect your portion sizes.
