Saturday, December 17, 2022

The recipe for puccia: a special type of Apulian bread



This Apulian classic is made of pizza dough stuffed with meats and cheeses, particularly popular in the town of Lecce. Today it is possible to enjoy a good puccia in almost all the Apulian rotisseries, pizzerias and bakeries where it is cut in half and stuffed to taste with tuna, capers, provolone, cherry tomatoes, anchovies, cold cuts and other cheeses of all kinds. But there are still those who strive to produce bread and pucce at home as the Apulian housewives once did. In Salento tradition has it that on the day of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) fasting is respected and only homemade pucce are consumed. In Novoli and Minervino in September a popular festival is organized that has as its protagonist this typical Apulian product: the Sagra della Puccia, an unmissable event for lovers of this tasty dish.

INGREDIENTS FOR LEAVENED DOUGH

50 gr of flour 
50 gr of durum wheat semolina flour
50 gr of warm water
4 gr of fresh brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon sugar

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH OF THE LOAVES

1 mashed boiled potato
350 gr of flour 
300 gr of durum wheat semolina flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons olive oil
200 gr of black olives 
400 ml lukewarm water

PREPARATION PUCCIA SALENTINA

Dissolve the yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar, pour the mixture into a large bowl with the flour and with the semolina flour, knead and let stand (rise) for 2 hours; For a correct leavening, cover the bowl with plastic wrap pierced with a toothpick and let it rest in the oven until the volume of the dough doubles. After the leavening time take the bowl and add all the ingredients for the dough.To prepare a variant of pucce, black olives and extra virgin olive oil are added to the dough that makes them softer and more fragrant. Work vigorously for 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and homogeneous, but not sticky; Pour the water a little at a time and evaluate the quantities based on the consistency of the dough you are working. Form many small round loaves of various sizes (between 10 and 20 cm in diameter); Sprinkle an aluminum baking tray with durum wheat flour and arrange them in individually floured forms. Bake at 200°-250° for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the crispy pucce empty or stuffed. There are many possibilities regarding the filling of puccia. In fact, everyone can choose the ingredients to fill it to their taste, as if it were any sandwich. 

 

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