Flatbread, Sicily-style
( Focaccia ragusana )

Recipe for Sicilian flatbread

Preparation and cooking

• - Prepare flatbread dough.
  Melt fresh yeast in 50ml (2 fl oz - 1/4 C)warm water.
  Sift flour on the work surface and make two wells, one large (in the centre) and one small at the side.
  Put salt in the small well.
  Put 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and melted yeast in the large well.
  I'm used to make two wells at the beginning for a special reason: for a better leavening you can't put salt and yeast together.
  At this point draw in flour from the edge of large well slowly, stirring and adding other warm water (about 50 to 70 ml) gradually.
  Finally, incorporate salt too.
  At the end you must have a soft dough.
  Knead your dough on the floured work surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic and there is no trace of dough on your fingers.
  Cover with a napkin and allow to rest for at least 2 hours or until your dough doubles in size in a warm place, faraway from draughts.
  If it is cold, you can put a bowl full of hot water under the dish with your pizza dough.
• - Prepare flatbread filling.
  Cut potatoes into small pieces and let them sauté 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil on very low heat, ten minutes, stirring frequently.
  Use a non-stick frying pan for the best result.
  Season to taste with salt at the end.
• - Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
• - Assemble your flatbread.
  Grease a 24cm (10in) round pan with remaining olive oil and then sprinkle it with a tablespoon of flour.
  Cut your dough into two halves.
  Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface to a round shape, larger than 24 cm.
  Use one piece to line your pan.
  Arrange potatoes with their olive oil on the bottom and then onions.
  Sprinkle some fennel seeds according to your taste.
  Cover with other piece.
  Close flatbread edges very well with your moisten fingers.
  Sprinkle other fennel seeds on its surface.
• - Baking.
  Bake until flatbread surface is well golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Just before serving

• - Serve your Sicilian flatbread warm or cold, cut into slices.

Note

Tips

• - It's difficult to say how much water you need while you're making your dough. The quantity can vary every time. It depends on flour, temperature and other variables. You'll have sometimes to add much more water or some flour if your dough is very sticky. Only experience will teach you how to choose the best.
• - Generally, I use kamut flour to make this flatbread as you can see in the photo.
• - If you have some pieces left, you can warm them up.

Menu planning

• - Suggested doses refer to this Sicilian flatbread as family dinner. Generally, I accompany my focaccia with raw or cooked seasonal vegetables. In fact, I plan at least two vegetarian days in the week.
• - You can choose this Italian focaccia as course for a meal, buffet-style too.
• - It is perfect for a real Italian antipasto. You can accompany a platter of assorted salami or cheese.

Healthy eating

• - This focaccia is much more balanced in calories and fat than other versions in this directory dedicated to Italian flatbread. But I have to remember you that nutritionists advise us not to combine potatoes to other carbohydrates.
• - Fiber per serving: 3.8 grams

Loretta

What's the right wine for " Flatbread, Sicily-style "?

This focaccia belongs to Sicilian tradition and so my husband and I suggest to pair Contea di Sclafani Bianco (white wine from Sicily) or another white wine.