Scacciata Siciliana 

The scacciate in the land of Sicily are a true tradition. In winter they are present in the festive tables and next to the classic recipes, we find various reinterpretations no less rich in taste. Everyone has their favorite recipes and this spinach and sausage scacciata was the one that in my house was always combined with the classic with broccoli as an alternative, equally tasty, for those who did not like the most decisive tastes. Then frying the leftover pasta clippings and sweetening them hot hot, you have in the blink of an eye, even a delicious sweet to offer to children waiting for the scacciata to be ready.

Sicilians are very proud of their land and its products, but the expulsion for them represents a true excellence. The scacciata is a street food made from bread that contains ingredients that come from the heart of Sicily, from its warm and welcoming lands. You will hardly find a precise recipe of the scacciata, precisely because it is one of those preparations that are handed down from generation to generation, from grandparents to fathers and from fathers to grandchildren.

Unofficial sources narrate that the scacciata appeared in Sicilian tables around the seventeenth century as a basic dish of the peasant communities. The recipe was handed down among the rural tables during the Kingdom of Sicily and in the period of the Two Sicilies and then landed on the city tables a century later. In 1763, some folk tales state that the prince of Paternò, wanted the expulsion on his Christmas table and it seems that from that occasion it was placed as a traditional dish to celebrate Christmas. In the Sicilian territory today the scacciata is widespread and is only of artisan production. Once again, the poor and simple dishes of Sicily become precious foods, whose flavors are transformed into indelible experiential emotions over time.

Preparing the Sicilian scacciata means having patience, the same patience that you must have when preparing bread. The taste of scacciata, when prepared, will not resemble any other dish you have tasted in your life. Try to prepare it and you will not be able to do without it!

Ingredients

for the dough of scacciata with spinach and sausage

800 g semolina flour

520 ml water (lukewarm)

5 g dry brewer's yeast

extra virgin olive oil to taste

4 g sugar

13 g fine salt

for the filling of the scacciata with spinach and sausage

800 g spinach (frozen)

200 g cheese (galbanino or other sweet cheese of your choice)

80 g Grana Padano PDO (grated)

400 g sausage (pork)

2 garlic cloves

extra virgin olive oil to taste

salt to taste

Preparation

To prepare the schiacciata spinach and sausage, after weighing all the ingredients, knead the flour with water, baking powder, sugar and oil. Remember that the dough may require more or less water depending on whether you are in the hot months, when the flour is drier, or in the cold months, when it contains a certain percentage of moisture, requires less water to be processed. We will have to obtain a soft dough that can be well worked, but not sticky. Work vigorously and after 6/7 minutes, add the salt, knead well to make it well distributed. The total processing time is around 10/15 minutes. Let the dough rise in a bowl well sprinkled with flour above and below, covered with a damp cloth and protected from drafts. Wait until it doubles in volume, it will take about 2 hours, in summer less. Meanwhile, put the spinach cubes in a large pan and over low heat wait for them to thaw. At first cover with lid and occasionally turn. When they are almost thawed, remove the lid to let them dry well and add 2 cloves of garlic cut in half and salt. When dry, add the oil and flavor the spinach for a few minutes, then remove from heat and turn 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Allow to cool in a large flat flat well spread. When the dough is well leavened, directly on the parchment paper with which the pan will be covered, roll out 3/4 of the dough with the help of flour. Of the latter we will spread between the dough and the parchment paper and between the dough and the rolling pin, but without exceeding. Create a base with high edges and then easily close the dunk. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to the maximum temperature. Remove the garlic from the now cold spinach and, leaving a small part to make a thin final layer, cover the base evenly with others. Then add the cheese (I use galbanino) in cubes and over a layer of sausage removed from the gut. Finish with a thin layer of spinach. Sprinkle further with grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil. Always roll out the other part of the dough, thinner than the base, on floured parchment paper and gently turn it directly on the scacciata. Close well by removing the excess dough and matching the edges of superficial paste with that of the edge initially created. Press the flaps well together and fold, it will form all around the chased away like a cord. Make a central vent, creating a hole in the center and then, wetting your hands with oil, crush on the surface of the shunt to compact it. My mother used to drop another small addition of oil into the vent and so I follow her example, but if you have already been generous with oil, you can omit this step. Bring the oven to 200 C and bake with static oven mode, for about half an hour, covering the surface with parchment paper in contact and on top of aluminum. Then remove the cover, turn on the grill and let it take heat according to your taste for another 10/15 minutes. Remove from the oven and wait about 20 minutes before enjoying it, so that it is flavored and compact. To preserve the crunchiness of the schiacciata with spinach and sausage it is not advisable to cover it while hot.

Preservation

In the fridge tightly closed for 2-3 days maximum.