The gluten-free Mmiscate Favaresi are the gluten-free version of a typical dish from the culinary tradition of Favara, in the province of Agrigento.
They are stuffed breads, made with local ingredients and consumed during festivities, such as the feast of St. Martin. Their origin dates back to the 16th century when they were prepared in homes on the island during St. Martin’s period.
Leavened dough rolls filled with flavorful ingredients, rolled into a spiral, and baked.
In some local sources, they are also referred to as “stuffed loaves” or “cunzati bread“, but the name “Mmiscata” comes from the Sicilian dialect and means “mixed”, referring to the variety of ingredients used in the filling.
In various localities of central Sicily, such as Raffadali and Milena, there are variants of this dish, known by different names like “Ammiscata”, “Mbriulata”, “Mignolata” or “Mpignolata”.
Traditionally, Mmiscate were prepared by women to provide their men with a hearty meal during long days of work in the fields.
The classic filling includes sausage, onion, black olives, and local cheeses like pecorino or caciocavallo.
Today, Mmiscate Favaresi are considered a delicacy of Sicilian cuisine and are prepared and consumed throughout the year, keeping a centuries-old culinary tradition alive.
My gluten-free version involves the use of a mix of gluten-free flours and gluten-free sourdough as in the recipe:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 13 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: St. Martin, All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour mix
- 1.5 cups water
- 0.63 cups gluten-free sourdough (refreshed and active)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 onion
Steps
Dough: Dissolve the sourdough in water along with the honey. Add the gluten-free mix and knead until a homogeneous dough is obtained. Incorporate the oil and salt.
Proofing: Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 3 hours.→ Tip: to avoid releasing too much water during baking, stew the onion first in a pan with a drizzle of oil, or slice it very thin and let it rest with a pinch of salt before using.
Rolling and Filling: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface with rice flour. Fill with stewed onion, crumbled sausage, pitted black olives, and grated pecorino cheese.
Shaping: Roll the dough onto itself to form a cylinder. Cut into pieces about 2-3 inches and roll each piece into itself to form a spiral.
Baking: Place the mmiscate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 392°F for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.
