Schiacciata (Tuscan Focaccia)

Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1For the dry ingredients, start with 600 grams of type 00 flour (or bread flour).
  2. 2Add 3 and 1/2 teaspoons of yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt.
  3. 3Mix the dry ingredients well.
  4. 4Add 600 grams of water to a small saucepan.
  5. 5Wash, peel, and cube a Russet potato.
  6. 6Weigh out 200 grams of the potato and add it to the saucepan.
  7. 7Bring the potatoes and water to a boil, covered.
  8. 8Boil until the potatoes are fork tender, usually 12 to 15 minutes.
  9. 9Turn off the flame and allow the potatoes and water to cool until lukewarm (100 to 110 F).
  10. 10Take a hand blender and blend this mixture until smooth.
  11. 11Add the blended potato mixture to the dry ingredients and combine.
  12. 12Stir the mixture for about a minute until everything is thoroughly combined, as this is a no-knead recipe.
  13. 13Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size, which takes 2 to 4 hours depending on room temperature.
  14. 14Take a non-stick baking pan and add a generous coating of extra virgin olive oil, spreading it by hand and getting some on your fingertips.
  15. 15Add the dough to the pan and use your oiled fingertips to mash and spread it out to fill the baking pan, making lots of little indentations.
  16. 16Add more extra virgin olive oil and spread it around the top, filling in the indentations.
  17. 17Sprinkle coarse salt over the top of the dough.
  18. 18Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until it reaches the top of the baking pan, which usually takes 30 minutes to an hour.
  19. 19In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400 deepgrees Fahrenheit.
  20. 20When the dough has risen and filled the pan, uncover it and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until done.
  21. 21Remove the bread to a wire rack and allow it to cool.
  22. 22Slice the schiacciata into small squares and serve as is or for sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 600 g type 00 flour
  • 3.5 tsp yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 0.75 tsp salt
  • 600 g water
  • 200 g washed, peeled, and cubed Russet potato
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • coarse salt

Equipment

small saucepanhand blenderbowlplastic wrapnon-stick baking panovenwire rack

Tips

  • If type 00 flour is unavailable, bread flour can be substituted.
  • The dough is a no-knead recipe, requiring only stirring until combined.
  • The word 'skar' in Italian means to smash, press, or flatten, which describes the action of spreading the dough in the pan.