Scali Bread

Scali Bread is a tasty braided Italian bread covered in sesame seeds that is a staple in Italian homes in Boston and along the North and South Shores of Massachusetts. It’s a sturdy dinner bread that can be eaten with butter, used to sop up sauce or toasted for garlic toast. It is also great as a sandwich bread and makes a mean grilled cheese. Nana used to use it for French toast. Ideally it is super soft and chewy on the inside with a slightly crisp crust.  It originated in Boston and remains a regional specialty. I didn’t realize this until I started baking it for friends who had never heard of it and we aren’t that far from Boston as the crow flies. Some recipes make a flatter loaf. I prefer a more round loaf and have cobbled some of my favorite aspects from different recipes to make a nice round flavorful loaf that reminds me of my childhood on the South Shore. So let’s start.

Make the sponge the day before
A sponge is very important for the taste of the bread. The ingredients ferment and create gas which imparts flavor into your finished bread. The sponge has to sit out on the counter covered for a minimum of 6 hours up to 24 hours. If you want to make it even more ahead of time, you could put it in the fridge, which slows down the process, for up to 48 hours, just remember to take it out and let the sponge come up to room temperature about two hours before you use it. If you don’t let it warm up, it will chill your bread dough and slow down the rising process.

Combine in a medium plastic container:
3/4c all purpose flour
1/2c water
1/8 tsp yeast

This should make a thick gooey pastey batter. Cover and let sit to do it’s magic.

Making the bread
Combine in the bowl of a mixer or bread machine:
1 2/3c all purpose flour
1 1/3c bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/4tsp yeast
Combine in the same container with the sponge:
3/4 c lukewarm water (reserve an additional 1/4c aside in case your dough needs it.)
3tbs sugar
1tbs olive oil

Add the sponge mixture to the dry and mix with the paddle until you have a shaggy dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead until you have a smooth dough that pulls away from the sides but can still stick a bit to the bottom. Add flour or water to achieve the  consistency you want. Use your scraper or a spatula to turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand just a few turns to smooth out the dough. I’m a firm believer in finishing out the dough by hand. You can feel if it is where you want it, which will come with experience and time. Make a nice ball and put the dough in a lightly greased bowl to rise. Cover with lightly greased piece of plastic wrap or a shower cap works good as well. Let double in size. Should take 1.5 to 2 hours. It can take longer depending on your kitchen temperature and the temperature of the dough.

While the dough is rising, prepare a cookie sheet with a layer of parchment paper. Make sure you have your sesame seeds on hand. I like to get the raw organic ones from the bulk aisle at the market and then toast them in a frying pan in larger batches. They then get transferred to a jar I keep in the cabinet when they are cooled. Sesame seeds will last quite a long time in the cabinet as long as they are kept dry. I usually give mine a sniff test. If they don’t smell right, I make a new batch. They usually get used up before that point. 

                                                Before                                              After

When the first rise is finished transfer the dough to a work surface that is very lightly floured. Press out the gas and divide the dough into three equal portions. Cover the dough with your plastic wrap and work with one piece at a time rolling into three 10” long rope pieces. Move the pieces to the baking sheet with the parchment on it and place them all in a row side by side. Braid from the middle out in each direction and pinch the ends. The finished braid should be 11” long or so. If it is not, bunch or pull to make it the appropriate length. Cover with your greased plastic wrap and let rise for another hour or so until good and poofy. Set oven to 350.

Wisk one egg with a touch of water and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. When the loaf is ready to go in the oven, brush it carefully with the egg mixture and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds liberally all over the loaf. Then put directly into the oven and bake for  40 minutes or so and is a nice deep golden brown. The inside temperature of the bread should register around 205 if you have a food thermometer handy. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool. Enjoy!