Scaccia
Ingredients
Sugar (1 1/4 tsp)
Active dry yeast (1/4 tsp)
Lukewarm water (1 cup)
Durum wheat semolina flouor (2 cups)
Olive oil (2+ tbsp)
Kosher salt (1/2 tsp)
All purpose flour (2 tbsp)
Garlic (1 clove)
Canned whole peeled tomatoes with juice (2 cups)
Basil leaves (1/2 cup)
Caciocavallo or provolone cheese (8 oz)
Preparation
Dough
Roughly chop basil leaves.
Mince garlic.
Grate the cheese.
Whisk together 1⁄4 teaspoon sugar, yeast, and water in a large bowl.
Let rest about 10 minutes or until foamy.
Add the semolina flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and mix until the dough just comes together.
Transfer to a very lightly floured work surface.
Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-8 minutes.
Lightly rub a bowl with oil.
Place the dough inside.
Cover the dough.
Let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Sauce
Add a tablespoon olive oil to a medium saucepan.
Add the garlic.
Cook over medium heat, until it just starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes to the saucepan.
Use the back of a spoon to break the tomatoes up.
Add a teaspoon of sugar.
Season with salt.
Cook for about 10 minutes, or until some of the liquid has evaporated.
Turn off the heat.
Add the basil.
Use an immersion blender to puree everything until smooth.
Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Baking
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Transfer the dough on to a large, lightly floured work surface.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out as thin as possible.
Get it to a 26-by-18-inch rectangle, or even larger if you can.
Position the dough lengthwise in front of you.
Spread half of the tomato sauce over the middle third.
Sprinkle with half of the cheese.
Fold the two sides over on to the sauce so that they overlap by only a few inches in the middle.
Spread the remaining sauce over the left two thirds of the dough.
Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
Fold the righthand unsauced side over the middle part of the sauced side.
Fold the lefthand sauced side over that, like folding a letter.
Fold the dough crosswise.
Tuck the whole thing into the prepared loaf pan.
Brush the top with olive oil.
Bake in the oven for about 1 hour.
Immediately invert the scaccia onto a rack.
Remove the loaf pan and parchment paper.
Let the loaf cool in this position for 10 minutes.
Turn the loaf right-side-up.
Slice into thick pieces and serve warm.