Scaccia Ragusana
A traditional thin-crusted folded bread from Ragusa, layered with rich tomato sauce and aged caciocavallo cheese before baking until crisp.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •Rolling pin
- •Baking tray
- •Small saucepan
- •Basting brush
- •Baking parchment
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 17 g
- carbs
- 64 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water inside a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Add the semolina flour, twenty millilitres of olive oil, and the salt, then knead into a smooth, elastic dough.
- 3
Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a damp cloth, and rest for forty minutes at room temperature.
- 4
Simmer the tomato passata in a saucepan with remaining olive oil, basil, and a pinch of salt until thick and concentrated.
- 5
Let the cooked tomato sauce cool completely before assembling the bread.
- 6
Roll the rested dough out on a lightly floured surface into a very thin, translucent rectangle.
- 7
Spread half of the tomato sauce across the surface and scatter over half of the grated caciocavallo cheese.
- 8
Fold both long edges inward so they meet in the middle, then spread the remaining sauce and cheese on top.
- 9
Fold the parcel in half again lengthwise to create alternating layers, gently tucking the ends underneath to seal.
- 10
Transfer the scaccia to a parchment-lined tray, prick the surface with a fork, and brush generously with olive oil.
- 11
Bake at 220C for thirty minutes until the crust turns deeply golden and crisp.
- 12
Cool for ten minutes on a wire rack before slicing into thick segments.
Chef's tips
Roll the dough as thinly as possible without tearing to achieve delicate pastry layers. Make sure the tomato sauce is well reduced and cool so it does not make the raw dough soggy.
Ingredient substitutions
- Caciocavallo Ragusano DOP → semi-aged provolone piccante or caciocavallo silano
- fresh yeast → 2 g dried instant yeast mixed directly with the flour
Storage
Keep leftover slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat on a hot baking tray in a 180C oven for eight to ten minutes until crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rolling the dough too thick, which results in a heavy, doughy centre.
- •Using watery, unreduced tomato sauce that makes the internal layers wet.
- •Slicing the scaccia straight from the oven before the cheese layers set.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Scaccia Ragusana?
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