Schiacciata is a chewy Tuscan flatbread that is similar to focaccia with its open crumb and in the method that it is made. It is a fairly high hydration dough that is stretched and folded instead of kneaded making it super easy to bring together even for bread baking novices.
Pronounced “skit-chatta“, schiacciata is thinner, more chewy and dense than focaccia making it perfect for sandwiches, paninis and even thick crust pizzas. This is one of my all time favorite breads, so I am super excited to show you just how I make it.
Let’s get started…
We are going to start by making a poolish.
I like to think of poolish as sort of a quick sourdough starter. It is made with commercial yeast and is ready to go overnight, but the pre-fermentation adds wonderful flavor and texture to the dough.
The night before you want to make your schiacciata, simply whisk 180 grams of bread flour (about 1 1/2 cups) with 180 grams of warm water (3/4 cup), 3 grams of active dry yeast (3/4 teaspoon) and a pinch of granulated sugar. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
The next day, your poolish should be all bubbly and should already smell like bread. Now that it is ready to go, we can get started on the rest of the dough.
In a large bowl, add 550 grams (about 4 1/2 cups) of bread flour, 16 grams of salt (1 tablespoon) and 42 grams of olive oil (3 tablespoons).
Add 340 grams (1 1/2 cups) of warm water in with the poolish and mix it around to break it up. We aren’t looking for it to become smooth or anything, we just want the poolish loosened a bit, so it incorporates into the flour easily.
Add the warm water and poolish into the flour mixture and mix until you have a loose, shaggy dough like this…
As long as you no longer see dry ingredients left unincorporated, cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes before you start stretching and folding the dough.
In lieu of kneading, this dough is going to be stretched and folded 4 times every 30 minutes over a 2 hour period, so I usually make this dough on a day when I am puttering around the house. In total, it only takes about 3 minutes of actual work, but there is some waiting time in between.
If you are unfamiliar with the stretch and fold method, it is super easy….
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- Step #1. Dampen your hands (this will help the sticky dough not stick to your hands while you are working with it)
- Step #2. Slide your hand between the bowl and the dough at 12 o’clock, grab the dough and pull it straight up about 6 inches
- Step #3. Fold the dough you just stretched up down into the center of the bowl
- Step #4. Rotate the bowl and repeat the same process at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock
- Step #5. While this is usually enough to work all of the sides up and into the center, if you see that part of the dough hasn’t been stretched then feel free to add a stretch and fold into a few more spots on the outer edge of the bowl
- Step #6. Cover the bowl, let it rest another 30 minutes
- Step #7. Repeat this process 3 more times for a total of 4 stretch and folds over 2 hours
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After the final stretch and fold, transfer the dough onto large rimmed baking sheet that has been generously coated in olive oil.
What size baking sheet should I use?
To bake all of your dough on the same baking sheet, you will need a 12″x17″ baking sheet, but I usually divide the dough between 2 or 3 smaller baking sheets. I love making paninis with this bread, so I often divide the dough between 3 smaller baking sheets. You really can’t go wrong here. If the baking sheet is a little “small” for this recipe, your dough will just be a little thicker and if you end up dividing it between 3 baking sheets and it ends up spreading a little thin, you’ll just have thinner, more crisp schiacciata. Both are fantastic.
Let the dough rest on the baking sheet covered with a light towel for about 45 minutes. Don’t worry if the dough doesn’t seem to fully cover the baking sheet at first. It will relax and stretch out over this final 45 minute nap.
Before you pop it into the oven, drizzle with a little more olive oil and use your finger tips to dimple the dough just we like we do with focaccia. You can sprinkle a little sea salt over the dough too!
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 24-26 minutes or until the edges are deeply golden brown.
This bread is so fantastic. Buttery, crisp, chewy and incredible delicious. It is great as is, so this makes a great bread to serve with dinner. No butter or dip necessary.
Schiacciata is also a wonderful sandwich or panini bread. Fill it with cheese, deli meat, crispy chicken cutlets, roasted vegetables, bacon and eggs… so many delicious sandwich fillers.
If you are looking for a great bread to bake this weekend that you can serve with dinner tonight and make sandwiches with tomorrow then you should definitely give this schiacciata a try. You’re going to love this one…
Schiacciata
Ingredients
The Poolish
- 180 grams of bread flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 180 grams of water, warm (3/4 cup)
- 3 grams of active dry yeast (3/4 teaspoon)
- a pinch of granulated sugar
The Dough
- 340 grams of water, warm (1 1/2 cups)
- 42 grams of olive oil (3 tablespoons)
- 550 grams of bread flour (about 4 1/2 cups)
- 16 grams of salt (1 tablespoon)
Finishing
- olive oil
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Make the poolish…
- Whisk 3 grams of active dry yeast and a pinch of granulated sugar into 180 grams of warm water and set aside for about 5 minutes or until it blooms and gets nice and foamy
- Add 180 grams of bread flour and mix until fully combined
- Cover the bowl and let the poolish rest at room temperature for 12-24 hours
Make the dough…
- Add 340 grams of warm water into a large bowl, add the poolish and mix until fairly combined
- Add 42 grams of olive oil, 550 grams of bread flour and 16 grams of salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms
- Cover the bowl and rest for 30 minutes
- Dampen your hands and pull the outer edges of the dough up and fold down into the center working your way around the bowl until all of the edges have been stretched and folded down into the middle
- Cover the bowl and rest for another 30 minutes
- Repeat this process 3 more times for a total of 4 stretch and folds over 2 hours
- Add a generous amount of olive oil into a 17”x12” rimmed baking sheet or 2 smaller baking sheets and spread it over the entire surface
- Transfer the dough into the baking sheet and gently work the dough out toward the edges
- Cover the baking sheet and let the dough rest for 45 minutes
Bake the bread…
- Preheat your oven to 450°
- When the dough has rested for 45 minutes, drizzle the top with olive oil and gently dimple the top with your finger tips working the dough out evenly over the entire baking sheet
- Sprinkle the top with sea salt
- Bake the dough in a 450° oven for 24-26 minutes or until the dough is golden brown with crisp edges
- Allow the bread to cool before slicing
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature
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