Paposcia del Gargano
A traditional elongated Apulian flatbread from the Gargano peninsula, baked quickly until puffed and stuffed hot with cheese and tomatoes.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 510 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking stone or heavy baking tray
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Dough scraper
- •Baking parchment
- •Pastry brush
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 510 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 510 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Dissolve the yeast in 100 ml of the lukewarm water in a small bowl and rest for five minutes.
- 2
Combine both flours and the salt in a large mixing bowl, then make a well in the centre.
- 3
Pour in the yeast mixture, remaining water, and olive oil, then stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.
- 4
Turn onto a lightly oiled work surface and knead for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 5
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and prove for two hours until doubled.
- 6
Preheat the oven and a baking stone or heavy baking tray to 250 degrees C.
- 7
Divide the dough into four equal portions using a dough scraper.
- 8
Gently stretch each portion with your fingers into an elongated, flat slipper shape about thirty centimetres long.
- 9
Transfer the dough shapes onto baking parchment and rest for fifteen minutes until slightly puffy.
- 10
Slide the dough onto the hot stone and bake for eight to ten minutes until golden and hollow.
- 11
Cut each hot flatbread horizontally along one side immediately to create a deep pocket.
- 12
Stuff immediately with sliced caciocavallo, tomatoes, and rocket, drizzle with olive oil, and serve warm.
Chef's tips
Bake at the highest temperature your domestic oven allows to ensure rapid oven spring and a hollow interior. Slice and fill the bread while it is steaming hot so the residual heat softens the caciocavallo cheese gently.
Ingredient substitutions
- caciocavallo cheese → scamorza or provolone dolce
- semola rimacinata → extra strong white bread flour
Storage
Paposcia is best eaten immediately after baking, but unfilled baked flatbreads can be kept in a bread bag for up to one day.
Reheating
Reheat unfilled bread in an oven preheated to 200 degrees C for three minutes before slicing and filling.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Baking in an oven that is not hot enough, which stops the flatbread from puffing up with a hollow centre.
- •Using a rolling pin to flatten the dough, which crushes the air bubbles needed for a light texture.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Paposcia del Gargano?
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