FOCACCIA CON I CICCIOLI (FOCACCIA BREAD WITH PORK MEAT)

FOCACCIA CON I CICCIOLI (FOCACCIA BREAD WITH PORK MEAT)

This focaccia bread came from the inspiration of Tuscan women who used to make bread ones every 8-10 days. It was a hard, long job: in the evening they “mettevano il lievito” which mean preparing the first pastry using “lievito madre” (starter) to add to another pastry for the second rise. Then at dawn they waked up to hot the oven ( using wood)  and knead the pastry…quite a long work. In the middle of the day the pastry was ready to be cooked.

Then to satisfy the children they use to make a sweet version with sugar, for adult during grape harvest they prepared a version using fresh grape then when farmers killed the pork used to make a focaccia bread adding roasted pork meat (“focaccia con I ciccioli”).

Today everything is much more easy, to make a good “focaccia con i ciccioli” you can use 500gr bread pastry (the same you used for pizza), 300gr bacon, salt and pepper.
 Chop the bacon and cook in a small pan until lightly brown. Add salt, pepper and let cool. Take the rised pastry add bacon and lard. Make focaccia as thick as you like and bake 200° until gilded. In the Easter period we use to make small loaf. In this case bake for about 45 minutes and the oven temperature should be lower.