Sicilian Ravazzate

To prepare Sicilian Ravazzate, start with the dough. Sift the flour and pour it into a stand mixer equipped with a hook 1. Add the sugar 2 and the dry yeast 3.

Start mixing at low speed and while mixing slowly add room temperature water 4 and when the water is absorbed, add the salt 5. Then add the lard, one piece at a time, making sure to add another piece only when the previous one is fully absorbed 6.

When the dough has pulled away from the sides of the mixer and clings to the hook 7, transfer it to a floured surface 8. Knead it by hand to give the dough a spherical shape and transfer it to a bowl 9. Let it rise for about 4 hours at a temperature of 82-86°F, covered with a clean cloth or in a turned-off oven with the light on.

Meanwhile, start preparing the ragù by beginning with the soffritto. Finely chop onion, carrots, and celery. Take a non-stick pan for cooking your ragù and add the chopped onion 10, carrots 11, and celery 12. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to mix the ingredients and ensure even cooking.

At this point, add the ground meat to the soffritto 13. Take a cutting board and remove the casing from the sausage 14. Then lightly mash the sausage with a fork 15 and place it in a small bowl.

Now add the sausage to the soffritto 16 and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring with a spatula for even cooking. Then deglaze with white wine 17 and let it evaporate. In a separate bowl, dissolve the tomato paste with a bit of water 18.

Then add the tomato paste to the pan 19, stirring well with a spatula to combine the ingredients. Adjust with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaves 20 and let it cook covered for about 30 minutes over low heat. Then add the peas 21 and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the bay leaves with kitchen tongs 22 and transfer the ragù to a glass container to cool to room temperature 23. Once cooled, transfer to the fridge (the ragù for filling the ravazzate must be cold). After the 4 hours of rising, take the dough and shape it on a work surface into a loaf 24.

Cut the dough loaf into 13 pieces weighing 2.3 ounces each and form balls with your hands 25. Take a tray, line it with parchment paper, and place the balls on it 26. Let them rise for about 1 hour at a temperature of 82-86°F. When the balls have risen, lightly press them with your fingers 27 to form a small disk.

Now fill your ravazzate. With a spoon, place some cold ragù in the center of the disk 28 and close it by pinching the edges together 29. Then close the other edges to form a kind of pouch 30.

When well-sealed, shape it into a spherical form 31. Repeat the operation until all the dough balls are filled. Place the ravazzate well-spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with the sealed side down 32. In a small bowl, beat an egg and brush it on the dough balls. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake in a preheated static oven at 390°F for 20 minutes (or in a convection oven at 350°F for 10 minutes). Remove from the oven 33, let cool slightly, and enjoy your Sicilian Ravazzate!