[Sca-cooks] Re: period pizza (long 7 recipes)

[Louise Smithson]

OK, sorry this took so long.  But digging up and
translating recipes just isn't that speedy.  I finally
managed to find 6 pizza recipes plus the one for the
dough, here they are.  A copy of this will also be
loaded to my webpage and I'm forwarding a copy to
Stefan for the Florilegium, so it will be available
later.  
Helewyse

The six pizza recipes from Scappi almost all describe
flat, round pastry type objects, which are flaky or
layered in some way, only two of which involve yeast
in the recipe.  In these yeasted breads you can see
the ancestor of the flat bread, although savory
toppings are nowhere to be found, sugar being the
preferred toping used.  The most interesting recipe is
the final one which hails from Naples, the birthplace
of the modern pizza, this sweet pie is the furthest
from the modern pizza of any of the recipes given
here. 
A note on quantities, the Italian libre or pound was a
weight which varied from location to location within
Italy.  The Italian libra weighed about 12 modern
ounces, there were 12 oncie per libre, giving the
modern ounce as approximately equivalent.  

Per far fiadoncelli pieni di varie materie.  Cap
CXXVII.
Impastinsi libre due di fior di farina, & tre oncie di
butiro fresco, quattro oncie d'acqua rosa, & sei rossi
d'ova, il restante latte di capra tiepide, o di vacca,
& sale a bastanza, facciasene sfoglio sottile, &
habbiasi libra una d'animelle di vitella perlessate, &
battute minute con li coltelli, mescolate con tre
oncie di medolla di boue, & due oncie d'uva passa, che
habbia tratto un bollo nel vino, quattro rossi d'ova
dure tagliate in bocconcini, & due rossi d'ova crudi,
quattro oncie di zuccaro, un'oncia di cannella, due
oncie di cascio grasso grattato, poi taglisi il
sfoglio in piu parte larghe un sommesso, & lunghe un
palmo e mezzo, & sopra ogni parte pongasi la
compositione da un canto, & rivolgasi in su tre volte
ungendo tra ogni rivoltura; dopo che sarà onta,
bagnisi con chiare d'ova sbattute, acciò si venga ad
attaccare insieme, & con lo sperone se gli dian tre
tagli da canti voti, & facciasi cuocere nel forno, nel
modo che si cuoconi i pasticci sfogliati, overo
friggasi in strutto, e cotto che saranno, si servino
caldi con zuccaro sopra.  Volendo empire di varie
compositioni li fiadoncelli, piglisi di tutte le
compositioni delle crostate, torte, & tortiglioni
antescritte, eccettuando gl'herbami, & tartare. 

To make small flat cakes stuffed with various things. 
Chapter 127
Paste together two pounds of flour with three ounces
of fresh butter, four ounces of rose water, and six
egg yolks, the rest (of the liquid necessary being
provided by) warm goat or cow milk, add as much salt
as necessary, and make at thin (subtle) sheet (of
pastry).  Take a pound of peeled veal sweet-bread
(thymus) and chop it finely with a knife.  Mix it with
three ounces of beef marrow, and two ounces of
currants which have been treated by boiling in wine,
four hard boiled egg yolks cut into small bites, and
two raw egg yolks, four ounces of sugar and ounce of
cinnamon and two ounces of fat cheese (parmesan or
equivalent) grated.  Then cut the sheet of pasta in
two pieces, as wide as a the length from the tip of
the outstretched thumb to the other side of the fist)
and as long as a the length of a hand and a half. 
(See note).  And above every piece put the stuffing on
one corner, and turn it over three times greasing
between every turn.  After you have greased it, bath
it with a beaten egg white, in order that it becomes
joined together, and with a fluted pastry cutter one
gives it three cuts on the empty corners.  Make them
cook in the oven, in the way that one cooks other
layered pastries, or fry in melted lard, and when they
are cooked one serves them hot with sugar on top.  You
may fill the flat cakes with many different stuffings,
take any of the stuffings for crostate, tarts and
little tortiglioni from the preceding recipes, except
those with herbs and soaked bread, almonds and sugar.

Note: with a tape measure and given my hands that
comes to a piece of pastry about 6" by 11".  
This first recipe is provided as it gives the pastry
recipe for several of the consequent pizza recipes. 
To my mind this pastry is assembled a little bit like
a spinach filo parcel, with the filling being put in
one corner and the dough folded over until a
triangular pasty is achieved. 

Per fare pizza sfogliata dal vulgo detta sfogliata
ascuitta. 
Cap CXXVIII, quinto libro,folio 367. 
Piglisi un sfoglio di pasta tirato sottile, fatto come
gl'antescritti, & habbisi una tortiera onta di butiro
liquefatto, & sopra essa tortiera pongasi un sfoglio
d'essa pasta, alquanto grossetto, & sopra esso sfoglio
mettansi dieci altri sfogli sottile, onti tra l'uno, &
l'altro di butiro, & spolverizzati di zuccaro, & fiore
di sambuco secchi, o verdi, & faccisi cuocere al
forno, o sotto il testo; & cotto che sarà, servasi
calda con zuccaro, & acqua rosa sopra.  A un'altro
modo si potrebbe fare, tirato il sfoglio come s'è
detto, ongasi di butiro liquefatto, & lascisi alquanto
raffreddare, & spargasi un'altra volta d'esso butiro,
& spolverizzisi di zuccaro, & faccisi un tortiglione
di sei rivolture, & come è fatto ongasi per il lungo,
& rivolgasi à foggi di laberinto, & mettasi nelle
totiera, dove sia un'altro sfoglio di pasta onta di
butiro, & con la mano onta di butiro caldo (acciò la
pasta no s'attacchi) venga a spianarsi, di modo che
non rimanga piu alta d'un dito, & col nodo del pugno
vadasi caldando in modo che gli resti il segno,
spargasegli butiro liquefatto sopra, & facciasi
cuocere al forno con lento fuoco, & servasi caldo con
zuccaro, & acqua rosa sopra, se non si volesse
spolverizzare di zuccaro, & acqua rosa sopra; mettasi
il zuccaro nella pasta, & per bellezza si puo fare
essa pizza col tortiglione sfogliato incirca.

To make pizza of many layers, commonly cold dry
layered pastry.  Chapter 129 
Take a sheet of pasta that has been pulled thin, made
as is described in the previous recipe, have a tart
pan greased with melted butter, and into this pan add
a sheet of this pasta that is large enough.  Above
this sheet put another 10 thin sheets, greasing
between each one with butter and powdering with sugar
and elder flowers, either fresh or dried.  And put it
to cook in the oven or underneath a "testo", and when
it is cooked serve hot with sugar and rose water on
top.  There is another way that one can make this,
pull a sheet as is described and grease with melted
butter, and let it chill a little, and sprinkle again
with this butter, and powder with sugar and make a
ring shaped pastry of six turns (roll pastry on
itself).  And when it is made grease it along the
length, and turn in the shape of a labyrinth or knot,
and put in the tart pan, where there is already
another sheet of the pastry greased with butter, and
with hands greased with melted butter (in order that
the pasta does not stick to them) begin to spread it,
so that it is not any higher than a fingers width, and
with the flat of your fist push it down so that it
remains within, sprinkle with melted butter and put to
cook in the oven with slow fire.  And serve hot with
sugar and rose water above, and if one does not want
to powder it with sugar and rosewater above, one can
put sugar in the pastry, and for beauty one can make
this pizza with little layered tarts that are in
circles.

This pastry to me most resembles modern baklava, thin
sheets of pastry layered with butter. 
Per fare pizza sfogliata di sfogliatura aperta Cap
CXXIX
Tirato che sarà lo sfoglio della pasta fatta nel modo
soprascritto senza zuccaro, facciasi un ruotolo di
grossezza d'un pistone di legno grosso, & lascisi
raffreddare, poi habbisi apparecchiata la tortiera con
un sfoglio onto di butiro sotto, & il tortiglione
sfogliato incirca, compartiscasi il ruotolo in piu
pezzi tagliati per il traverso con il coltello caldo,
liquali pezzi sieno d'altezza di due in tre dita, &
mettasi nella tortiera uno d'essi pezzi, la qual
tortiera sia proportinata al pezzo della pasta, cioè
ne troppo grande, ne troppo piccola, & messo che sarà
nella tortiera, spargasi sopra butiro liquefatto non
troppo caldo, & con la palma della mano, bagnata di
butior caldo, s'anderà stendendo nella tortiera esso
pezzo, di modo che rimanga alta un dito, & facciasi
cuocere al forno, o sotto il testo con piu fuoco
sopra, che sotto, & servasi calda.  A un'altro modo si
puo fare, tagliata che sarà la pizza con destrezza,
slargharla alquanto con la mano, dipoi à circa a circa
di fuori bagnarla d'ova battute, acchioche nel cuocere
no si stacchi l'orlo, e facciasi friggere essa pizza
nello strutto, o butiro squalgliato non troppo caldo,
& fritta che sarà, servasi calda con zuccaro fino
sopra.  Di questo ruotolo sfogliato se ne puon fare
diversi lavorie fritti, & cotti al forno, secondo il
giuditio di chi li sarà.

To make a layered pizza of open layers. Chapter 129
Take a sheet of the same pastry made in the way
written above without sugar, make a roll of it
(buttering between layers) the size of a large wooden
piston (rolling pin?), and let it chill.  Then having
already prepared a tart pan with a thin sheet of
buttered pastry in the bottom and a circle of layered
pastry spirals around the rim (as best as I
understand), slice up the roll by cutting into many
pieces across the width with a warm knife.  These
pieces to be about the height of two or three fingers
and put in the tart pan one of these pieces, the said
tart pan should be proportionate to the size of the
piece of pasta, that is neither too large nor too
small.  And when you have put it in the tart pan,
sprinkle the top with melted butter that isn't too
hot, and the flat of your hand spread the warm butter
around.  One will stretch in the tart pan this piece
in the way that it becomes the height of a finger. 
And put it to cook in the oven or beneath a testo with
more fire above, than below, and serve hot.  You can
make this in another way, cut that pizza with
dexterity then spread it out enough with the hand,
then about from above bathe it with beaten egg, such
that in the cooking the edges do not detach, and put
theses pizza to fry in lard or clarified butter which
is not too hot.  And when they are fried serve hot
with fine sugar above.  And with these layered rolls
on can make various works fried or cooked in the oven,
dependent on the judgement of he who makes them. 

Note: here the pasta is rolled up and then later cut
and spread out, this way the layers would be end up in
the pan, not layered down as in the preceding recipe. 
The resemblance to palmiers is striking, although the
mode of cooking is different.  The use of tortiglioni
to decorate the rim of the pastry is notable in this
and other recipes.  The best description of them I can
find is that they are spirals of layered or flaky
pastry that are attached to the rim of the pie to make
it pretty.  When the pastry circles are to be fried in
oil they are first bathed in egg, this will prevent
them from disintegrating in the oil. 

Per fare pizza a un'altro modo Cap CXXX
Piglinisi libre due di fior di farina, & impastinsi
con oncie sei di cascio parmigiano pisto nel mortaro,
stemperato con brodo grasso, & acqua rosa, & passato
per il setaccio, & oncie tre di zuccao, sei rossi
d'ova, tre oncie di mollica di pane imbeverata con
brodo grasso, mezz'oncia di cannella, mezz'oncia tra
garofai, & noci moscate, & per spatio d'un'hora
rimenisi essa pasta, & facciasene sfoglio sottile, &
ongasi di butiro liquefatto, & facciasene tortiglione
per il lungo del sfoglio di quattro rivolture, &
ongasi il tortiglione di butiro liquefatto no troppo
caldo, & d'esso totiglione facciansene piu fucaccine,
& frigghisino in butiro, o strutto, o cuochisino nel
forno nella tortiera, come si cuoce i tortiglioni,
servisino calde con zuccaro sopra.   A un'altro modo
si potrebbe fare impastare la farina con brodo
grassissimo che bolla, giungendoli rossi d'ova
sbattuti, zuccaro, & acqua rosa, butiro, & le medesime
spetierie, & cosi calda si rimeni la pasta di modo che
no sia troppo soda, & compartiscasi in pezzuoli di
quattro oncie l'uno, & di ciascheduno d'essi
facciansene fucaccine, & facciasino cuocere nel forno,
si potrebbe fare in luoge delle pizze piccole, una
pizza grande, & essa pasta si puo mescolare de pignoli
mondi ammaccati, che sieno stati in molla, & lievido. 


To make pizza in another way.  Chapter 130
Take two pounds of flour and paste together with six
ounces of parmesan cheese which has been ground in the
mortar, mixed with fat broth and rose water and
strained through a sieve, and three ounces of sugar,
six egg yolks, three ounces of bread crumb soaked with
fat broth, half an ounce of cinnamon, half an ounce
between cloves and nutmeg.  Work this dough for the
space of an hour and make a thin sheet, grease with
melted butter that isn't too hot, and make of it a
tortiglione (rolled pastry coils) the length of the
pastry and of four turns.  Of these pastry coils make
more flat pastries and fry them in butter or oil or
cook them in the oven in a tart pan as one would cook
the tortiglioni.  Serve them hot with sugar on top. 
And another way that one can bind together the flour
is with the fattest broth boiling, adding beaten egg
yolks, sugar, rose water butter and the same spices,
and working the pastry hot in the way that it doesn't
become too hard.  And divide it into pieces of four
ounces each and each one of these shall be made into
small flat cakes and put to cook in the oven.  And,
one can, in the place of small pizza's make one large
pizza.  And with this pastry one can mix ground peeled
pine nuts that have been soaked in water and yeast. 

Note: this recipe is completely different from the
previous ones.  The first pasta dough is definitely
savory, although I am at a loss to describe how he
goes from rolls of pastry to little flat pastries that
are fried.  The second pasta dough in some way
resembles a choux paste, by using boiling water and
eggs, sadly this is one occasion when specific
measurements are not given so we are left to guess how
soft the dough should be. 

Per fare pizza sfogliata a un'altro modo Cap XCCCI
Impastinsi libro tre di fior di farina con due oncie
di lievido, & quattro oncie di mollica di pane che sia
stata ammogliata nell'acqua tiepida, & sale a
bastanza, & impastata che sarà lascisi reposare in
luogo caldo coperta fin a tanto che sia levata, come
fa il pane, poi si mescolerà un'altra volta su la
tovala per spatio di mezz'hora, ponendoli in piu volte
due libre di butiro fresco, & mescolata che sarà tanto
che haverà recevuto il butiro, & sarà venuta morbida,
partisi essa pasta in due o tre pezzi, & di
ciascheduno d'essi pezzi facciasi la pizza nella
totiera, dove sia butiro fresco, & facciasi cuocere
nel forno con buitro liquefatto sopra; facendoli
alcuni sbufi con la punta del coltella sopra, accioche
non sgonfi, & come è pressso a cotta, spargesegli
zuccaro, & acqua rosa, tal pasta si vuol cuocere
adagio, & servasi calda. 

To make a layered pizza in another way.  Chapter 131
Paste together three pounds of flour, with two ounces
of yeast starter (bigo, i.e. dough from a previous
bread batch), and four ounces of crumb of bread that
has been soaked in warm water, and enough salt.  And
when everything has been blended together put it to
rest, covered, in a warm place to rise, as one does
with bread.  Then one kneads it another time on the
table for the space of half an hour.  Burdening the
dough, little by little, with two pounds of fresh
butter.  Mix until all the butter has been
incorporated into the dough and the dough has become
soft.  Split the dough into two or three pieces and
with each of these pieces make the pizza in the tart
pan, where there is fresh butter, and put them to cook
in the oven with melted butter on top.  Make several
holes with the point of the knife on the top, in order
that it does not puff too much.  And when it is nearly
finished cooking sprinkle with sugar and rose water. 
This pastry should be cooked slowly and served hot. 

Note: Finally a yeast dough, this one is enriched by
kneading in vast quantities of butter after the first
rise, this is similar to the way that panettone is
made modernly.  To me this recipe most resembles a
focaccio, as we are instructed to pierce the dough so
that it doesn't rise too much. 

Per fare pizze sfogliate ritonde a un'altro modo cotte
in forno su la carta.  Cap CXXXII
Piglinosi libre 2 di fior di farina, impastinsi con
acqua tiepide, e sale, & un'oncia e mezza di lievido
stemperato con acqua tiepida, & oncie tre di butiro
fresco, & impastata che sarà di modo che non sia
troppo liquida, ne troppo soda, lascisi reposare in un
drappo candido in luogo caldo, fino a tanto che si
levi, come fa il pane, & rimenisi un'altra volta sopra
la tavola, ponendoli men farina che sia possiblile
quando si rimena, & habbinsi apparecchiate libre due
di buttiro fresco compartito in bocconcini grossi come
nocelle, il quale buttiro sia stato in mollo
nell'acqua fredda, & poi rimesso nell'acqua rosa. 
Piglisi la pasta, e con la palma della mano, o col
bastone spianisi, & faccisi tonda comè un tagliere, di
modo che rimanga di grossezza d'una costa di coltello;
piglinsi poi bocconcini del butiro, & ponghisino a uno
a uno sopra, lasciando vacuo il circolo della pasta un
buon dito, il qual vacuo sia bagnato d'ova sbattute,
ridoppisi il sfoglio sopra il buttiro, da tuttiquattro
i canti.  Facendo di modo che esso sfoglio venga come
una beretta da prete, cioè, si congiunga insieme le
parte bagnata dell'ove, & con la mano accommodisi di
modo, che venga tondo, & pian piano si verrà à
spinarla, avvertendo di non rompere la pasta, facendo
che torni di quella grandezza, & tondezza di prima, &
cosi si farà piu volte, fino a tanto, che s'haverà
fornito il butiro, & ridotto che sarà in una palla à
foggia d'una pagnotta; habbisi apparecchiato un
sfoglio di carta grossa, onto di butiro nel mezzo, &
pongasi sopra la pasta con la sfogliatura in giu,
facendo che la parte liscia venga sopra, & diasegli il
colore con ova sbattute, & pongasi nel forno, che non
sia troppo caldo, & massime da basso, & come comincia
a gonfiare, perche non pigli troppo colore, si
cuoprirà con un sfoglio di carta straccia, lasciandola
finire a cuocere; & cotta che sarà, d'ogni tempo vuole
essere servita calda.  Et volendosi fare ad un'altro
modo, compartiscasi la pasta avanti che si metta il
butiro in piu pezzuoli, & d'essi pezzuoli se ne faran
sfogli tondi di grandezza d'un tagliere ordinario, &
non siano piu grossi dello sfoglio da torta, &
banginsi anchora essi intorno con ove sbattute, & nel
mezzo pongansi i boccocini di butiro, & sopra il
butiro pongasi un'altro sfoglio, & con questo ordine
se ne sarà otto, o dieci sfogli l'uno sopra l'altro, &
poi con la palma della mano spianisino pian piano,
avvertendo non rompergli.  Quest ultima pizza si puo
cuocere in la tortiera con un sfoglio sotto, & il
torgiglione sfogliato incerca per fare che sia piu
bella, & servasi calda d'ogni tempo con zuccaro fino
sopra.  Et ancho gli si puo dare il colore come è
presso a cotta con rossi d'ova, spolverizzandoa di
zuccaro.  

To make a layered round pizza in another way, cooked
in the oven on card.  Chapter 132
Take two pounds of flour and make a paste with warm
water, salt and an ounce of a half of leavening mixed
with warm water, and three ounces of fresh butter, and
blend it together so that it is neither to liquid nor
too dry.  Let it rest under a white cloth in warm
place until it is risen, as one does for bread.  And
knead it another time on the table, adding as little
flour as possible when one kneads.  And have ready two
pounds of fresh butter, divided into pieces as large
as a hazelnut, the said butter having soaked in cold
water and then transferred to rose water.  Take the
pastry and with the palm of the hand, or with a pastry
roller, and make it round like a table cloth, in the
way that it stays about the width of a knife handle. 
Then take the butter pieces and put them, one at a
time, on top of the pastry, leaving a space about a
fingers width around the edge of the pasta empty. 
This empty space one will bathe with beaten egg.  Fold
the sheet over the butter, over and over again, from
all angles.  Make it in such a way that this sheet
becomes like the head gear of a priest, that is one
brings together the parts bathed in egg, and with the
hand shapes it in such as way that it becomes round. 
And very slowly one begins to push it, being careful
not to break the pastry, do this so that it returns to
its previous size and shape as at first.  And this one
does more times, until one has used all the butter,
and it is worked to the shape of a small bun.  Have
already prepared a sheet of thick paper, greased with
butter on one side, and put above it the pastry with
the turnings and layers below, make it such that the
smooth side faces above.  And give it color with a
beaten egg and put in the oven, and it should not be
too hot, and as a general rule at the bottom (lowest
temperature), and when it begins to rise so that it
doesn't get too dark one covers it with a piece of
torn paper and let it finish cooking.  And when it is
cooked, in all weathers it should be served hot.  And
if you want to make it in another way, divide the
pasta before ones adds the butter into more pieces. 
Of these pieces one makes thin round sheets about the
height of an ordinary knife, and no larger than the
crust for a tart, and bathe each of these in turn with
beaten egg, and in the middle add the pieces of
butter, and above the butter add another sheet of
pastry, and in this way one can make eight or nine
layers, each one above the other.  And then with the
palm on ones hand press it very slowly, making sure
not to break the pastry.  This last pizza one con cook
in a tart pan with a sheet of pastry below and
layered, curled pastry around the edge to make it more
beautiful.  And serve hot in every weather with fine
sugar above.  And also if one wants to give it color,
when it is nearly cooked brush with egg yolk and
powder with sugar.  

Note: in this recipe the yeast dough is layered with
butter.  A recipe very reminiscent of how one makes
croissant.  

Per fare torta con diverse materie, da Napoletani
detta pizza.  Cap CXXI
Habbisi oncie sei d'amandole ambrosine monde, &
quattr'oncie di pignoli ammogliati mondi, & tre oncie
di datoli freschi prive dell'anime, e tre oncie di
fichi secchi, tre oncie di zibibbo senz'anime, & ogni
cosa pestici nel mortaro, sbruffandole alle volte
d'acqua rosa, di modo che venga come pasta, giungansi
con esse materie, otto rossi d'ova fresche crude,
oncie sei di zuccaro, un'oncia di cannella pista,
un'oncia, e mezza di mostaccioli Napoletani muschiati
fatti in polvere, quattro oncie d'acqua rosa, e fatta
che sarà d'ogni cosa in una compositionne, habbisi la
tortiera onta con un sfoglio di pasta reale, & il
tortiglione sfogliato incirca non troppo grosso, &
mettasi la compositione in la tortiera, mescolata con
quattro oncie di butiro fresco, facendo ch non sia piu
alta d'un dito, & senza esser copera facciasi cuocere
al forno, & servasi calda, & fredda a beneplacito.  In
essa pizza si puo mettere d'ogni sorte condite.

To make a tart with various things, by the residents
of Naples called pizza.  Chapter 121
Have six ounces of peeled ambrosia almonds, four
ounces of peeled soaked pine nuts, and three ounces of
fresh dates with the seeds removed, three ounces of
dried figs, three ounces of raisins without seeds, and
grind everything together in a mortar, sprinkling
every so often with rosewater, so that it becomes a
paste, add to these things eight fresh raw egg yolks,
six ounces of sugar, an ounce of ground cinnamon, an
ounce and a half of Naples biscotti with musk, made
into powder, four ounces of rose water.  And make of
all these things a filling.  Have a greased pie plate
lined with a sheet of royal pastry, and with not too
large layered twisted pastry decorations around the
rim.  Put the stuffing into the tart, mixed with four
ounces of fresh butter.  Make it so that it isn't any
higher than a finger and without a (pastry) cover put
to cook in the oven.  Serve this hot or cold as one
pleases.  In this pizza one can put any sort of
confit. 

Note: the ingredients for royal pastry are: flour,
sugar, butter, rose water and salt.  Naples biscotti
are a almost meringue type confection of sugar, flour
and eggs, baked twice until crisp.  The probably
provide both flavoring and a binding agent for this
dish. 
This last pizza recipe is the least like a modern
pizza, resembling instead a very rich dried fruit pie.
 

References used: 

Alfred Hoare, M. A. (1925). An Italian Dictionary,
Cambridge University Press.
Scappi, B. (1981). Opera : (dell' arte del cucinare). 
Reprint. First published: Opera di M. Bartolomeo
Scappi. Venice, 1570. Bologna, Arnaldo Forni.

Translated April 16, 2004 by Helewyse de Birkestad. 
Copyright remains with the author, permission is
granted for scholarly/non-profit use and reproduction
in SCA related publications provided that credit is
given to the author.  If you have any questions please
contact me helwyse at yahoo.com





	
		
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