How to Make Scicli Vastedda Bread

Scicli (pronounced “SHEE-klee”) is a gem of a Sicilian town; famous as one of the main filming locations for the TV crime series Montalbano, celebrated as one of the eight towns of the UNESCO-listed Val di Noto and home to a unique local treasure: vastedda bread.

Vastedda (or vastidduzza) is unlike any other bread, and it originates right here in Scicli. Chef Giovanni, who shared his recipe with me, explained with pride that it had been passed down from his grandmother.

My favourite place in town, My Name Is Tannino, is a wine bar perched above the waterway and run by its owner, Tannino. It was here that I first tasted vastedda, served warm, topped with local ingredients and perfectly paired with a glass of Sicilian wine.

From that very first bite, I knew I had to learn how to make it. Luckily, my enthusiasm for their food and wine was enough to find my way into their kitchen.

On a beautiful summer afternoon, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work under Chef Giovanni’s guidance. Into a bowl went semolina flour, water, live yeast, salt and a generous pour of olive oil.

Then came the hard part: mixing and kneading by hand until the dough was smooth - a lot more effort than I had expected!

Interesting note... Pasta in Northern Italy is traditionally made with wheat flour and eggs, in Southern Italy, and especially Sicily, it’s made with semolina flour and water. Semolina is golden yellow, slightly nutty, coarser in texture and higher in protein and gluten.

After resting for two hours, the dough was ready to be rolled out to 3-4mm thick, cut into small rounds, and shallow-fried - a little like a savoury doughnut.

Still warm, I topped the breads with creamy ricotta, roasted baby tomatoes, a sprinkle of black olive crumbs and a basil leaf.

Finally, I retired to Tannino’s sunny terrace, where a chilled glass of wine and a plate of Vastedda awaited—an authentic taste of Scicli and Sicily.

If you ever find yourself in Scicli, take my recommended tour and visit My Name Is Tannino. If not, why not make vastedda at home?

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Ingredients:

• Flower 800g
• Water 435g (yes, weighed)
• Salt 30g
• Live Yeast 4g (beer yeast)
• Olive oil (a good pour)

Method:

1. Into the semolina flour mix the water, yeast, salt and oil.
2. Knead the dough until smooth.
3. Roll the dough until 3-4mm thick and use a cutter to create rounds.
4. Shallow fry the dough.
5. Dress the vastedda with whatever ingredients you wish.
6. Eat, drink and enjoy!