The sardenaira is a variant of focaccia and a typical dish of Sanremo. I have home advantage, as I’m from Sanremo, and along with farinata, Recco focaccia, and panissa, it’s part of my top list! Sardenaira dates back to the 1500s.
Unlike pizza, Sardenaira has a thicker and softer dough, similar to focaccia. Moreover, it does not contain mozzarella but tomato sauce, oregano, anchovies, taggiasca olives, and garlic. This version is without, as you can find the recipe with garlic here.
It owes its name to salted sardines, which were once the main ingredient. Today, however, anchovies are more frequently used.
It is so rooted in local tradition that it is considered a true gastronomic symbol of Sanremo.
It’s impossible to visit Sanremo without stopping by a tavern to taste it. Great as a snack, but also as a quick lunch or dinner.
There are various doughs, and the one I’m proposing today is what the elders used to prepare and, in my opinion, the best. Starting from the aroma it emits throughout the house to the amazing final result.
The best cooking is in a wood oven, but even in an electric oven, it’s delicious.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the dough
- 500 all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 20 g compressed yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- to taste taggiasca olives
- to taste dried oregano
- 7 anchovy fillets in oil
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking Tray
- Plastic Wrap
Steps for the Dough
To prepare the sardenaira, we begin with the dough. First, dissolve the yeast in 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water with a teaspoon of granulated sugar to help the fermentation. You can also use a sachet of dry yeast.
In a bowl, mix the ingredients in this order: flour, the yeast dissolved in water, extra virgin olive oil, and finally the salt. Start kneading energetically for at least 10 minutes until you get a smooth and compact dough, as shown in the photo.
Leave it in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, making small holes to allow it to breathe, and let it rise for at least 6 hours. The longer it rises, the more digestible it will be. After the rising time, oil our aluminum baking tray 12″ x 16″ and spread out the dough with your fingertips, see photo, leaving dimples and let it rest for about half an hour.
After the rising time, preheat the static electric oven to 392°F, and in the meantime, dress the sardenaira with the salted and seasoned tomato sauce with extra virgin olive oil, add the oregano, olives, and anchovy fillets cut in a uniform way.
Bake at a temperature of 392°F, for about 30 minutes. Until you get a light golden color
And enjoy from Barbara…
Storage and Tips
The sardenaira is also excellent consumed the next day if first reheated in the oven.
Once cooked, let the Sardenaira cool at room temperature
Wrap it in a paper towel (preferably absorbent) or plastic wrap
Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. Before consumption, to regain part of its crunchiness, reheat it in a preheated oven at 356°F for a few minutes.
You can freeze the sardenaira, but it is essential to wrap it well to prevent air from altering its texture, and store it in the freezer for no more than a month. Thaw it in the refrigerator, and then reheat it in the oven to regain its crunchiness.
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