Trapizzino

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gstrong white flour
• 375 mlwater, cold
• 3 gfresh yeast, or 1 g dried
• 12 gsalt
• 2 tablespoonsolive oil

For the tray

• olive oil, for the tin and the top
• coarse semolina, for dusting

Filling, pollo alla cacciatora

• 6chicken thighs, on the bone
• 1onion, chopped
• 2garlic cloves
• 4anchovy fillets
• 150 mlwhite wine
• 2 tablespoonswhite wine vinegar
• 400 gtinned tomatoes
• 1 sprigrosemary
• 1bay leaf
• olive oil, salt and pepper

Directions

1. Put the flour in a large bowl. Pour in most of the water and mix it roughly. Leave it to sit for twenty minutes. Work it in with a wet hand only. That is correct and it should not be floured. Turn the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Cover it and leave it for thirty minutes.
2. Repeat that whole folding sequence three more times. Cover it and put it in the refrigerator. Leave it there for twenty-four hours. Making the filling can be done during that time.
3. Brown the chicken thighs in olive oil in a heavy pan. Take them out and set them aside. Fry the onion in the same pan until soft. Add the garlic and the anchovies. Crush the anchovies into the oil with a spoon. Pour in the wine and the vinegar. Let it bubble hard for two minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, rosemary and bay leaf. Return the chicken to the pan. Season it and cover it with a lid. Simmer it gently for about an hour. The meat should fall off the bone easily. Lift the chicken out and shred the meat. Discard the bones, the skin and the herbs. Return the shredded meat to the sauce. Reduce the sauce until it is thick and clinging. A wet filling will soak through the bread.
5. Take the dough out an hour before baking. Oil a large rectangular baking tray generously. Tip the dough into it without knocking the air out. Press it toward the corners with oiled fingertips. Do not roll it or press down hard. Let it rest twenty minutes if it resists. Let it rise uncovered for one hour. Baking it needs the hottest oven you have.
6. Heat the oven to 250C well in advance. Sprinkle it with a little coarse salt. Bake it for about twenty minutes. It should be golden with darker blistered patches. Turn it out onto a rack to cool a little. Cutting the pockets takes a sharp knife.
7. Cut the bread into squares while it is still warm. Cut each square in half diagonally into triangles. Work the knife inside to open a pocket. Do not cut through the other two sides.
8. Warm the pockets briefly in the oven. Spoon the hot filling generously into each one. Fill them right to the point of the triangle. Serve them immediately, wrapped in paper. It should not be soaked through by the time you eat it.

Technique

• Trapizzino is a registered trademark held by the business Stefano Callegari founded, and there are now branches in several countries.
• The bread itself, pizza bianca in a tray, is an ordinary Roman bakery product long predating the invention.

Substitutions

• Good bought pizza bianca or focaccia can be cut and filled the same way if you do not want to make the dough.
• Any well-reduced stew works as a filling, including ragu, tripe or braised aubergine.

Variations

• Coda alla vaccinara, the Roman oxtail stew, is the most famous filling.
• Polpette al sugo, meatballs in tomato sauce, are equally standard.
• Vegetarian versions with braised aubergine or with cheese and greens are widely sold.

History

Invented in 2008 by Stefano Callegari in Rome’s Testaccio, putting trattoria classics into street-food bread.

Frequently asked questions

What is Trapizzino?

Trapizzino is a street food from Vatican City: triangular pizza-bread pocket stuffed with Roman stews like oxtail or tripe. Invented in 2008 by Stefano Callegari in Rome’s Testaccio, putting trattoria classics into street-food bread.

How long does Trapizzino take to make?

Trapizzino takes 40 minutes plus 24 hours fermenting of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 8 pockets. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Trapizzino?

Yes, within limits. Good bought pizza bianca or focaccia can be cut and filled the same way if you do not want to make the dough. Any well-reduced stew works as a filling, including ragu, tripe or braised aubergine.

What is the most important thing to get right in Trapizzino?

Take the dough out an hour before baking. Oil a large rectangular baking tray generously. Tip the dough into it without knocking the air out. Press it toward the corners with oiled fingertips. Do not roll it or press down hard. Let it rest twenty minutes if it resists. Let it rise uncovered for one hour. Baking it needs the hottest oven you have.