Schiacciata Con Zibibbo
Ingredients:
1 cup raisins
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lard (if you are lard phobic, or have dietary restrictions, you can use shortening)
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves (fresh or dried, though I like fresh for this recipe best)
4 ½ cup bread flour
2 packages (4 ½ teaspoons) yeast
¾ cup of hot water (120 - 130 degrees)
2/3 cup of sugar
2 eggs at room temperature.
Baking Pan - 1 9"x13" pan or a Lasagna pan of about 15"x10"(that's what I use)
Method:
Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let them sit 20 minutes to plump. Remove from bowl and place on a couple of paper towels to drain
In a small sauce pan, heat the olive oil and lard or shortening, over medium heat. When the shortening or lard has completely melted drop in the rosemary leaves. It will start to bubble and boil, turn down to medium low and simmer the leaves for five minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the oil to cool.
In your large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, measure out 1 ½ cups of flour. Add the yeast and whisk to combine. Now is where we get a little odd, but stick with me on this. Make a well in the flour and pour in the hot water. With a spatula, pull the sides of the flour down into the water until you have a thick batter. Don't mix the whole thing together (I know wacky), you want to end up with a well of batter surrounded by a ring of dry flour.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the sponge to rise until it covers the dry flour, about an hour. Why do this? Well I was told that it gives the final bread a more airy crumb. I have tried it just mixing it all together and I have to say there is something to that, still it is always odd to me to leave dry flour in a bowl for a sponge.
When the sponge is risen and bubbly turn back remove the plastic wrap and add ¼ cup of the oil rosemary mixture, 1/3 cup sugar and the eggs. Using a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment on your mixer, stir briskly for 2 minutes to combine.
Add the rest of the flour ½ cup at a time, giving the flour time to work into the developing dough before adding the next ½ cup. When the dough is a shaggy mass that you can lift from the bowl, it is ready to knead.
If you are doing this by hand, turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface (meaning less than 1/8 cup of flour, please) and knead with a turn, fold, push method for 12 minutes (yes, that is a lot and you won't be done then either. Why do you think Italian grandmothers are so strong?). If the dough stays sticky, you can give it a sprinkle or two of flour along the way. At twelve minutes, you are going to add the raisins. Just dust them with a little flour and then spread them over the top of the dough. Continue kneading for another 3 minutes or until the raisins are completely distributed through the dough.
If you are doing this by hand (lazy) attach the dough hook and knead a low speed for 12 minutes. Keep an eye on the dough, it might be too sticky and will probably need at least on sprinkle of flour to stop sticking to sides of the bowl. After 12 minutes, dust the raisins with a little flour. Stop the mixer and pour the raisins on the top of the dough. This will help them in mixing with the dough instead of sliding around the bottom of the bowl. Knead for another three minutes.
Using a pastry brush (or your fingers if you don't have a pastry brush) lightly oil the bottom of your pan. Don't use more than about 1 teaspoon of the oil, the rest it going on top!
Turn your dough out into the oiled pan. Now, it is time to be gentle and patient. You want to slowly flatten and work your dough so that it evenly covers the bottom of the pan. If you try to go too fast your dough will tense up and fight you by springing back. Just slowly work it out to the narrow sides, then work on making it as wide as the pan. If it starts to fight you, walk away for about 3 minutes to let the dough relax.
When you have the dough completely covering the bottom of the pan, pour the rest of the oil rosemary mixture on top and spread it out with your fingers so the whole dough is coated with oil. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar over the top. Set aside to rise until it has doubled in volume, about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how warm your house is.
Twenty minutes before baking, set a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 375 degrees. When the dough is risen, slip the pan into the hot oven and bake for 35 minutes.
The bread will be rumpled looking and dark brown when it is done. Remove from the oven and cut into big thick pieces. Serve with coffee or a light red wine for an after dinner treat.
This bread is to die for! Slightly sweet, savory with the rosemary, light and fluffy with delicious raisins scattered throughout. A real taste of old Italy. It is best on the day it is baked but you can keep it for up to 3 days tightly wrapped in plastic.
The flour is yours! |
