The Wood-Fired Blog
Focaccia
Dec 30, 2011There are two basic approaches to focaccia. In Genoa, where focaccia was born, a rich, olive oil infused dough is shaped into a pan, allowed to raise, indented with fingers, covered with more olive oil, then baked at a moderate heat. In Naples, the home of pizza and wonderful brick pizza ovens, many pizzerias create a focaccia that is basically a flat bread made from pizza dough and topped with... Read More
Cecina
Dec 30, 2011 This is a flatbread that we made with some California friends. They have a cousin who owns a nice Pasticceria in Lucca who give us the recipe and technique, and our samples (which were great). The bread is simple, though finding chickpea flour might not be. 🙂 It is very similar to a French Socca, from Provence. I have heard Cecina called Chickpea Pizza as well. We have used... Read More
Schiaciatta: Tuscan Flatbread
Dec 30, 2011Here is a recipe for traditional Schiaciatta al Olio — flatbread from Tuscany. If Focaccia is half way between pizza and bread, then Schiaciatta is half way between Focaccia and Pizza. It is flat, and infused with olive oil. You should bake it pretty hot — around 500F. Read More
Schiacciata, with a Little Sourdough: Tuscan Flatbread
Dec 30, 2011This is a traditional Schiaciatta all’olio (flatbread from Tuscany), with a sourdough boost. Schiacciata literally means “squashed.” If Focaccia is halfway between pizza and bread, then Schiaciatta is halfway between Focaccia and Pizza. It is flat and infused with olive oil. You should bake it pretty hot — around 500°F. Click the links to learn more about making flatbread and wood fired hearth bread in our expansive bread baking sections of the website. A... Read More
San Marzano Tomato Pizza Sauce
Dec 30, 2011You can use canned San Marzano tomatoes (Pomodori Pellati) to create a wonderful, and simple pizza tomato base. Use a potato masher to get a good sauce consistency. Don’t use a food processor or hand mixer, as those will break the seeds and give your sauce a bitter flavor. If you are using a brick oven, you should not cook the sauce. The hot oven will cook the sauce perfectly.... Read More
Brick Oven Roast Capon
Dec 30, 2011The capon is the bird of choice for Christmas in Italy (it’s a male castrated chicken, ouch). The capon is a little fattier than chicken, and has a great flavor. A 6-7lb bird is large enough for a small dinner party. I boiled the head, feet and insides to make stock for risotto. There are a couple of nice aspects to the recipe. First, it uses the heat of the... Read More
Stuffed Turkey Roll — Rotolo di Tacchino
Dec 30, 2011Here is a stuffed turkey roll recipe that works great in a brick oven. The heat of the oven sears the stuffed turkey, and browns the pan drippings to make a wonderful, light sauce. We stuffed our turkey with a ham and cheese frittata, which is a nice change from a traditional bread stuffed. This is a good summer meal. To make a turkey roll you’ll want about two pounds... Read More
