Why this recipe works Boasting a soft crust and a relatively fluffy crumb, scali is the bread you want to have next to your big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. A signature of Boston’s Italian American community, scali is sold in most local grocery stores and cafés and is almost always braided and coated with a generous amount of sesame seeds. We thought it was time to introduce this lovely loaf to the rest of the country. Unlike with most loaves in this chapter, in which we want a sturdy, open crumb, we quickly passed over bread flour in favor of all-purpose flour here; the lower-protein flour gave our bread its trademark soft, pillowy texture. Looking to further encourage a soft interior, we also avoided adding multiple folds to this recipe, and we simply kneaded the sponge with the remaining dough ingredients in the mixer until smooth and elastic before letting the dough rise undisturbed. Incorporating 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the dough also helped create a soft crumb, and it provided a pleasing touch of richness to the bread. The addition of a sponge set the flavorful scali apart from other fluffy Italian breads. After dividing the dough into thirds and braiding the pieces into a loaf, we brushed the top with beaten egg and sprinkled on the traditional (but optional) dose of sesame seeds.
MAKES: 1 loaf
RESTING TIME: 6 hours
RISING TIME: 2½ to 3½ hours
BAKING TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10 to 11 hours, plus 3 hours cooling time
KEY EQUIPMENT: 2 rimmed baking sheets, pastry brush, instant-read thermometer
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE SPONGE
- ⅔ cup (3⅓ ounces) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (4 ounces) water, room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
FOR THE DOUGH
- 2⅔ cups (13⅓ ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 ounces) water, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water and pinch salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Stir all the ingredients in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until the sponge has risen and begins to collapse, which takes about 6 hours (the sponge can sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours).
- Whisk the flour, salt, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir the water, sugar, and oil into the sponge with a wooden spoon until well combined. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the sponge mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, which takes about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and clears the sides of the bowl, which takes about 8 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, which takes about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover it tightly with plastic, and let it rise until doubled in size, which takes 1½ to 2 hours.
- Stack 2 rimmed baking sheets, line them with aluminum foil, and spray them with vegetable oil spray. Press down on the dough to deflate it. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter, divide it into thirds (about 9½ ounces each), and cover each piece loosely with greased plastic. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keeping the remaining pieces covered), stretch and roll it into a 10-inch rope.
- Arrange the ropes side by side, perpendicular to the counter edge, and pinch the far ends together. Braid the ropes into a 10-inch loaf and pinch the remaining ends together.
- Transfer the loaf to the prepared sheet and reshape it as needed, tucking the edges under to form a taut 10-inch loaf. Cover it loosely with greased plastic and let it rise until the loaf increases in size by about half and the dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, which takes 1 to 1½ hours.
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently brush the loaf with the egg mixture and sprinkle it with sesame seeds, if using. Bake it until golden brown and the loaf registers 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool completely, which takes about 3 hours, before serving.
