Focaccia Lucana con Peperoni Cruschi

Name: Focaccia Lucana con Peperoni Cruschi
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lucana
Ingredients: 300 g semola rimacinata; 100 g type 0 flour; 270 ml lukewarm water; 4 g dried instant yeast; 8 g Fine sea salt; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 6 piece peperoni cruschi; 1 tsp coarse sea salt; 1 tsp dried wild oregano

A traditional golden Lucanian semolina flatbread drizzled with fragrant olive oil and topped with crisp, sweet peperoni cruschi.

🇮🇹Italy· Basilicata

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 430 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

300 g semola rimacinata — re-milled durum wheat semolina flour
100 g type 0 flour — or strong white bread flour
270 ml lukewarm water — around 30 degrees C
4 g dried instant yeast — about one teaspoon
8 g Fine sea salt — for the dough
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — divided between dough, frying, and tin
6 piece peperoni cruschi — dried sweet Senise peppers, wiped clean and stemmed
1 tsp coarse sea salt — for sprinkling on top
1 tsp dried wild oregano — optional herbal garnish

Equipment

•30 cm round baking tin
•Large mixing bowl
•Small frying pan
•Kitchen paper

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 430 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 62 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 10 g
calories: 430 kcal

Instructions

1
Combine the semola rimacinata, white flour, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.
2
Pour in the lukewarm water gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
3
Add the fine sea salt and fifteen millilitres of extra virgin olive oil, then knead for eight minutes until supple.
4
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave the dough to prove for two hours until doubled in size.
5
Clean the peperoni cruschi with a dry cloth, remove seeds, and cut the peppers into bite-sized pieces.
6
Heat thirty millilitres of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat.
7
Drop the pepper pieces into the hot oil for two to three seconds until they puff, then lift immediately onto kitchen paper.
8
Pour the remaining oil and the red pepper frying oil into a thirty centimetre round baking tin to coat the base.
9
Tip the dough into the tin, pressing gently with your fingertips to stretch it to the edges while leaving deep dimples.
10
Scatter the crisped peppers, coarse sea salt, and dried oregano evenly across the dimpled surface.
11
Bake at 220 degrees C for twenty to twenty-five minutes until golden-brown and crisp underneath.
12
Slide the focaccia onto a wire rack to cool for ten minutes before slicing.

Chef's tips

Peperoni cruschi burn and turn bitter in a split second, so remove them from hot oil the moment they swell. Using the red pepper-infused oil to grease the tin and brush the dough infuses the bread with distinctive Lucanian flavour.

Ingredient substitutions

peperoni cruschi → dried Spanish mild sweet choricero peppers, though Senise peppers offer the authentic crisp texture
semola rimacinata → strong bread flour, though the focaccia will lose its classic golden colour and chew

Storage

Keep leftover focaccia wrapped in baking paper at room temperature for up to two days.

Reheating

Warm slices on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C for five minutes to restore crispness.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Frying the sweet crusco peppers for too long, which scorches them and ruins their delicate sweetness.
•Skipping the resting period, which causes the dough to shrink back when pressed into the tin.
•Using cold water, which slows down the rise of the durum wheat dough.

Serving suggestions

Cut into thick squares and serve warm with seasoned pecorino cheese.Pair with a glass of robust Aglianico del Vulture red wine.Serve alongside a simple bowl of local green olives.