Active Time

　　30 min

　　Total Time

　　4 hr

　　Sfogliata

　　Served with a glass of full-bodied red wine or a Martini, this anchovy- and oregano-flecked Italian bread makes for an appetizer extraordinaire.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 12 servings

　　

For dough

3/4 cup warm water (105-115°F)

　　2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-oz package)

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 cup "00" flour*

　　1 cup semolina flour**

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　

For seasoned oil

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

　　4 canned flat anchovy fillets, drained, patted dry, and minced

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　

Make dough:

Step 1

Stir together water and yeast in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Stir oil into yeast mixture. Pulse together "00" flour, semolina, and salt in a food processor until combined. With motor running, pour in yeast mixture and process until a wet dough forms. Transfer dough from bowl to a lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times until smooth. Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

　　

Make seasoned oil:

Step 2

Whisk together all oil ingredients in a small bowl until combined well.

　　

Form and bake sfogliata:

Step 3

Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to remove air. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface into a roughly 18-inch round (1/8-inch thick).

　　

Step 4

Reserve 1 tablespoon seasoned oil and brush remaining oil over dough round, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge. Tightly roll up dough jelly-roll style and pinch seam to seal (some filling will seep out as you roll). Arrange roll seam side down and form into a coil, then transfer to oiled pan. Gently press on coil to flatten slightly, then cover pan loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

　　

Step 5

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Brush top of dough with reserved oil and bake until pale golden and top and underside are crusty, 35 to 40 minutes. Lift bread from pan with a metal spatula and transfer, right side up, to cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour. Serve bread thinly sliced.

　　

Step 6

*Available at fornobravo.com.

　　

Step 7

**Available at D. Coluccio & Sons (718-436-6700).

　　Cooks' note:

　　Bread keeps, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature 2 days or frozen 1 month.