It’s almost Christmas and we are ready to bake a traditional delicious dessert from Le Marche: the “crescia sfojata”
CRESCIA SFOJATA
For the dough:
2/3 cups all-purpose flour or grano tenero “00”
3/8 cups warm water
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon fine salt
For the filling:
2 green apples (about 1 lb)
15 walnuts
60-70 raisins
5 oz organic apple juice (or as an alternaitve: rhum, brandy, sherry)
2 spoons cane sugar
1 spoon cinnamon powder
some organic lemon peel
Start making the dough:
Warm up the water (it has to be warm enough, but not too hot). Sift the flour and add some salt and olive oil in a large mixing bowl and keep stirring the mixture. Using your hands, work the ingredients until it comes together. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Add more flour (sparingly) to the work surface only if it is absolutely necessary. Shape the dough into a ball; cover with a wet towel or a wrap and let rest on the work surface for about half an hour.
Making the filling:
Warm up the apple juice and pour it on the raisins in a bowl. Let the raisins absorb the moisture until they return to room temperature and turn soft (about 20 minutes). Peel the apples and cut into thin slices. Place them in a bowl and cover with cane sugar and roughly chop walnuts, well drained raisins. Add the cinnamon and lemon peels. Preheat oven at 390F.
Roll out the dough:
Spread a clean lined or cotton tablecloth (preferably washed with mild soap and rinsed well), flax or cotton, on the table. Spread some flour on top of it, take the dough and start flattening it by hands and then by a rolling pin. When the dough is thin enough start stretching and pulling it- outside with your fingers and making sure not break it. The dough should become almost transparent.
Place it back on the tablecloth (the dough should be about 19 inches in size). Since the edges will be a bit thicker, use your fingers along the edge to make it thin. Spread out the filling on the dough, but make sure not to cover the the edge. With the help of the tablecloth, start rolling the dough on itself. Made a couple of turns and fold towards the inside the two outer edges and continue to roll until the end.
Gently transfer the dough on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Brush it with melted butter and bake. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden.
Let cool and cut into slices.
“Buon Appetito” and Merry Xmas!
Thanks to our dear friends Silvia and Donatella from Fabrica del Gusto for sharing this sweet collaboration!
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