Sicilian Savoury Brioche or Ravazzata by Nonna Teresa

This traditional Sicilian recipe is contained in a cookbook that Nonna Teresa, the granny of our friend Matteo Fantacchiotti wrote to leave her recipes in inheritance to her family.

Thanks to Matteo to kindly share with us this dish of his childhood.

INGREDIENTS for 8-10 servings (round deep pie dish 26 cm diameter)

Brioche dough:

400 gr flour
25 gr sugar
40 gr fresh yeast
100 ml warm water
100 gr butter or 75 ml extra vergine olive oil
3 eggs
salt

For the filling:

150 gr primosale or provola dolce cheese or scamorza, sliced
150 g peas
2 tbsp extra vergine olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
120 g ham or salami, sliced
a handful of grated parmesan cheese
besciamella sauce

For the besciamella:

1/2 l milk
75 gr flour
50 gr butter
salt and grated muscat, to taste

The original Sicilian brioche is made with primo sale or provola dolce, if you don’t find these cheeses you can prepare it with scamorza.

1) Prepare the besciamella sauce and cook the peas.
Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan until it melts. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Let cook over medium heat, while still stirring, until it starts to get a golden color (around 4 to 5 minutes).
Slowly pour the warm milk into the mixture, while whisking, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat after 30 seconds since the first bubbles. Season with salt and nutmeg. When the besciamella is cooled, add the parmesan cheese in and mix very well. Cover with a lid and keep aside.

In a saucepan heat the oil, add the onion and let cook for few minutes, until the onion becomes translucent, stirring constantly. Then add the peas and salt, cover with a lid, lower the heat and let cook the peas until soft, adding a bit of water little by little, if needed.

2) make the dough.
Add the fresh yeast in a glass with warm water, mix well with a spoon until the yeast is totally melted. Pour it in a bowl with 100 g of flour and knead until obtaining a thick and uniform dough. (first dough)

In another large bowl or on a wooden table pour the remaining flour and make a hole in the center, adding the eggs, sugar, chopped butter and salt. Using your hands, knead all together until obtaining a smooth dough. (second dough)

Then knead the first dough together with the second one and knead until obtain a smooth and elastic dough.

You can prepare these two doughs by using a planetary mixer fitted with the dough – hook attachment. In this case, to prepare the second dough, we recommend you to add a small portion of butter at the time and wait until it is completely absorbed, before adding the next portion.

3) combine all the ingredients.
On a wooden table roll out 2/3 of the dough in a circle big enough to fit the bottom and the sides of the round – deep – pie dish. Grease the pie – dish with extra vergine olive oil and line the sheet-dough in.

Pour the besciamella into the pie dish and level it using a spoon. Pour the peas on and level them. Then add the ham or salami and finish layering the primosale or provola slices.