Ingredients for 4 people:

500 gr of semolina flour
300 gr of toma (cheese)
100 gr of anchovies in oil
25 gr of yeast
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Sicilian cheese pie

Preparation:

Pour the flour onto a pastry board, add a pinch of salt and knead with the yeast, previously dissolved in half a glass of warm water. Work the dough, add other warm water if necessary, untill to obtain a enough hard and compact dough.

Let the dough rise, putting it in a bowl with the bottom lightly floured. Cover the dough with a dishcloth and let rise for at least 1 hour. The rise will be complete when the dough begins to swell and to form cracks on the surface.

After the rise, work again the dough adding the bicarbonate and a cup of olive oil. Knead until the dough has fully absorbed all the oil. Finally, divide the dough into two parts.

Now roll out the two loaves of dough with a rolling pin to form a bit thick sheet of pastry. Baste a baking sheet and sprinkle with flour, then roll out one of the two sheets of dough on the bottom of the pan.

Cut toma into slices and arrange them over the entire surface of the dough, spread out the anchovies, if you prefer, into pieces, and season all with a generous sprinkling of black pepper and a little of extra virgin olive oil.

Cover everything with the other part of dough and join firmly the edges. With the hand lightly oiled  flatten the surface of the “scacciata” and then puncture the paste with a fork in several places.

Put into the oven at 200 degrees for about half an hour until it cooks and the the surface becomes golden. Serve hot or cold if it remains for the next meal.

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