Schiacciata pizza filled with potato and pork sausage

Place the flour and semolina in a stand mixer bowl (or mixing bowl). Crumble the yeast into the bowl with flour, then add the sugar.

To work by hand: Pour the water in a slow stream into the flour, yeast and sugar mixture. Use your hands to bring the dough together. Continue to mix until just combined, then add the salt. Place the dough onto a clean worksurface. Knead for about 3 minutes, then add the olive oil. Knead the dough for a further 5 minutes. It should come away cleanly from the work surface.
If using a mixer: Fit the dough hook to the stand mixer and turn on the second speed. Pour the water in a slow stream into the outer edge of the stand mixer bowl. Continue to mix until just combined, then add the salt. Continue to mix for about 3 minutes, then add the olive oil. Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic (approximately 5 minutes). It should pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the schiacciata dough to a large bowl. Stretch and fold the schiacciata dough about 20 times. The stretch and fold method strengthens and incorporates air into the dough. Cover completely with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 5 hours.

When the dough has ½ an hour resting time remaining, preheat the oven to 230°C conventional oven (450° Fahrenheit/Gas 8). Adjust metal rack to the middle groove of the oven. Line a large shallow baking tray (approximately 45cm x 33cm in size) with non-stick baking paper and grease generously with canola oil.

To make the Potato and sausage filling, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and potatoes. Stir for 2 minutes, then add the capers, basil, passata and season with salt to taste. Continue to cook, tossing occasionally until the potatoes are almost cooked through and slightly firm. Transfer the potato and onion filling to a clean bowl to cool. Break up the sausage meat into small pieces with your hands and add to the frying pan (where you cooked the onion and potatoes), stirring occasionally until cooked through.

Remove the schiacciata dough from the bowl and divide the dough into two. Place one piece of dough onto a well-floured work surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into a rectangle shape that is approximately 40cm x 32cm in size.

Arrange half of the potato and onion filling over half of one rectangle, leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Potatoes should be overlapping slightly. Add half of the sausage over the potato filling, then half of the Mozzarella to cover the potato and sausage filling. Add a second cheese layer using half of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the cheese. Brush the outer edge with water, then fold the dough over to enclose the filling. Press the outer edges of the dough together to seal, then do schiacciata pleats. Alternatively, lightly press to crimp using a fork.

Gently transfer the Schiacciata to the greased baking tray. Use a fork to prick the top of the Schiacciata and brush/rub with extra virgin olive oil on top. Repeat with the remaining portion of Schiacciata dough, potato and sausage filling, Mozzarella and Parmigiano.

Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C conventional oven (400° Fahrenheit/Gas 6). Bake on the base of the oven for 25 minutes. Transfer to the middle groove of the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting the schiacciata into portions. Use kitchen scissors to cut each schiacciata into 6 portions – buon appetito.