Crescia Marchigiana

Crescia in le Marche is something different from region to region. To make it more confusing, Crescia is also an Easter bread here. This is not the Easter bread recipe.

The Crescia is related to Crescia sfogliata from Urbino. That is a flaky, pan- fried bread simulate to a pita. It is folded over and stuffed with meats, cheeses, and vegetables.

This Crescia my Nonna made was a variation, and different in two ways. It was a pocket that was fried after it was stuffed. And she used her bread dough. She would stuff it with prosciutto, cheese, and greens- whatever she had available from the garden. In a future post I will have the Crescia Sfogliata.

For the dough:

8 cups unbleached flour

I cup milk

2 T butter

1 package yeast

1/2 t salt

1/2 t sugar

2 cups cold water

1/2 cup warm water

1. Heat milk/ butter over stove. When butter melts, add the cold water and set aside.

2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let sit for a few minutes. Then add to milk- butter- water mixture. Note- be sure it’s not hot- it could kill the yeast.

3. Make a well in the flour. Add the mixture bit by bit and use a fork to slowly integrate the flour.

4. When it becomes dough, knead it for 15 minutes, until it is smooth. Let sit covered with a dish towel until it doubles in size. Punch down and let sit for 10 minutes.

For the greens:

Salt pork

Pancetta ( optional)

3-4 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

3-4 sprigs of rosemary ( fresh)

Salt

Pepper

Red pepper flakes

Pine nuts, toasted ( optional)

Greens can be a combination of any 3-6 of these:

Swiss chard ( including stalks). Broccoli ( including stalk, peeled and cut)

Broccoli raab Tuscan kale

Cauliflower. Dandelion greens

Turnip greens. Red cabbage

Beet greens. Spinach

Small pieces of zucchini Collard greens

Lettuce. Pretty much any greens

1. Par boil your greens in batches. You don’t want to boil the crap out of them. Just a minute or 2 for fine greens, 3-5 for kale, chard, collards, 5 for stalks ( cut into small pieces)

2. Once cooled, squeeze out the water and chop coarsely.

3. Chop salt pork/ pancetta finely. Let it brown in a large pan of olive oil. You want the fat to melt. Add pepper and red pepper flakes.

4. Chop garlic finely, add it to the pan for about 45 seconds. DO NOT LET IT BROWN! Then add the greens and rosemary, salt and pepper, and toasted pine nuts if using. Cook at moderate heat, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Then cover and cook at low for 45.

The Construction:

Swiss cheese

Prosciutto or ham

1. Cut a small piece of dough. Have some olive oil on your work surface. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the piece of dough. Roll it out into a thin oval. Don’t worry about it being perfect.

2. Add a piece of ham and a piece of cheese. Then top with greens. Do not allow the edges to be covered with anything, or you won’t be able to seal it.

3. Fold it over, press edges closed, then seal with a fork by pressing all along the edges.

4. In a pan of hot vegetable oil, fry until golden brown. Turn over and repeat. Dry on paper towel or bag.

This is time consuming to make, but once you taste them, you will understand.