Schiacciata Alla Fiorentina Food

SCHIACCIATA ALLA FIORENTINA OR ITALIAN EASTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Mix flour, sugar, milk, olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, eggs, baking powder, vanilla extract, and nutmeg in a large bowl until batter is well combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool before serving.

SCHIACCIATA ALLA FIORENTINA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
• Add flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, orange juice, eggs, milk, and oil. Beat with a hand mixer until thoroughly mixed together, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the batter to the buttered pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Test the cake with a toothpick inserted into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
• Let cool for about 30 minutes on the counter, then flip the cake out of the baking pan. Slice and serve sprinkled with powdered sugar.

SCHIACCIATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Measure the water in a measuring cup, stir in the yeast and let develop for 10 minutes. It should look foamy when it's ready.
• Meanwhile, add the flour and kosher salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn on to whisk together and run for a minute or so to create a well. With the mixer running, add the water and yeast in a stream. Turn the mixer up to speed 2 and knead until the dough comes away from the bowl and it looks smooth and feels elastic but still sticky, 5 to 7 minutes. Flour your hands and knead the dough for a minute on the counter.
• Grease a large glass bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the dough, flip on both sides and cover with a clean tea towel. Place the dough in a warm spot to rise until it is double in size, about 1 hour.
• Spread a half sheet tray with the remaining olive oil. Lay the dough on top and stretch and pat out until it reaches 10-by-16-inches, an oval rough shape is ideal. Use your fingertips to press in small indentations. Sprinkle evenly with the cherry tomatoes, sea salt and rosemary leaves. Let rise again for 20 minutes.
• Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Slice into wedges or squares for serving and drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.

FLORENTINE CARNIVAL CAKE (SCHIACCIATA ALLA FIORENTINA)

Steps:

• Lightly brush sides and bottom of an 11 x 7 x 1 1/2-inch baking pan with olive oil.
• Dissolve the yeast in water and follow directions on the package regarding how long to let it sit. Using a mixer at medium speed (or processor with dough blade), blend into the yeast mixture the following (in order): the flour, half of the sugar (1/4 cup plus two tablespoons), the salt, 1/4 cup olive oil, the two whole eggs. Blend at medium speed until smooth and well combined.
• Add the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the orange zest, and cinnamon, blending until oil is incorporated into dough. This mixture will be sticky and unkneadable. Scrape the dough into a very lightly oiled bowl. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap or a large towel and put it in a warm place (75 to 80° F, no drafts) for 1 1/2 hours to allow dough to rise.
• Using mixer (or processor with dough blade), again at medium speed, into the risen dough blend egg yolks and the remaining granulated sugar until fully incorporated. It should form a smooth, yet loose ball. Scrape mixture into the oiled baking pan. With your knuckles, even the dough to a uniform thickness, cover with a towel (preferable to plastic wrap, because the dough may expand over the pan edge), and place it in that warm place again until it rises to the edge of the pan, approximately 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400° F. Bake dough until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, run a knife around the edge of the pan. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Then, with a decisive motion, slam the pan on a counter to dislodge cake.
• Cover the cake with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. For decoration, you may cut out a stencil of a Florentine lily and lay it on the cake before its sugar coating for a traditional and very handsome design.