Scaccia Ragusana al Pomodoro

Sicilian layered scaccia with tomato sauce and caciocavallo cheese cut open to reveal layers on wood board.

Scaccia Ragusana al Pomodoro

Scaccia Ragusana is a layered, stuffed Sicilian bread made with a semolina flour dough and filled with a fragrant basil tomato sauce and sliced caciocavallo cheese.

Course antipasto, street food

Cuisine Sicilian-Italian

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 1 30

Resting Time 2

Servings scacce

Calories 894kcal

Author Nadia Fazio

Ingredients

For the dough

4 grams active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. water
500 grams semolina rimacinata double milled semolina flour
2 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp. olive oil

For the filling

750 ml tomato passata puréed tomatoes
1 clove garlic minced
handful basil leaves
salt to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
300 grams caciocavallo cheese

For assembling

olive oil for brushing on each sheet of dough
1 cup packed basil leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the dough

Place yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Heat water until lukewarm, pour over the yeast and let sit until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Stir together the semolina and salt in a large bowl.
When the yeast is ready, make a well in the center of the semolina flour and pour it in along with the olive oil.
Stir together with a wooden spoon, or your hands, until a shaggy dough is formed.
Transfer the mixture onto your counter, and knead intil smooth and elastic, about 7-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Prepare the filling ingredients

For the sauce: Pour the passata in a medium sized sauce pan, rinse out the jar with a bit of water to get remaining sauce and add to the pan along with the garlic and basil. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for about an hour. Add salt, to taste. Set aside.
Cut the caciocavallo into thin slices. Alternately, you may shred it.

Assemble the scaccia

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F using the convection setting (forced air) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rough rectangular shape. It does need to be perfectly shaped. Roll the dough as thin as possible, until almost transparent.
Brush the dough lightly with olive oil, then cover with tomato sauce (leaving a 1 inch border all around the edges); top with caciocavallo slices and a few basil leaves.
Fold ⅓ of the dough from both the left and right sides toward the center, like an envelope.
Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and top with more tomato sauce, cheese and basil leaves.
Fold the top third of dough toward the center. Once again, brush with olive oil and cover with tomato sauce, cheese and basil.
Lift the bottom piece of dough and fold over the tomato-cheese filling.
Carefully transfer the scaccia to a baking sheet, brush the entire surface with olive oil and proceed with the remaining dough.
Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes beforing slicing and serving.

Notes

Yield:

Each scaccia can be sliced into about 6 pieces, therefore is suitable for 2 people.

Storage:

Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven.

To Freeze:

Wrap each scaccia well with plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition