Basilicata — the strazzata is specifically associated with the midsummer festival traditions of the Lucanian highlands, particularly the festival of the Madonna del Pollino in Viggianello. The bread is prepared in large batches and distributed communally.
Strazzata is the traditional festival flatbread of the Lucanian highlands: a thick, round, olive oil-enriched leavened bread studded with abundant black pepper and optionally with hot peperoncino, baked in a wood-fired oven until the exterior is firm and the interior is soft and fragrant with pepper. It takes its name from 'strazzare' (to tear) — it is torn, not cut, and shared communally. It is the bread of the summer festivals of Basilicata, prepared in large quantities for the feast days and village celebrations of the Lucanian interior.
Strazzata is warm, fragrant with olive oil, and bites of black pepper — each piece torn from the loaf carries the pepper note directly. The olive oil gives a clean richness; the crust is firm enough to grip when torn. It is the bread of outdoor celebration — substantial, aromatic, and made to be shared.
A standard bread dough enriched with generous olive oil (6-8 tablespoons per 500g flour) and loaded with coarsely cracked black pepper (at least 2 tablespoons per loaf — the strazzata should taste strongly of pepper). Knead well, incorporating the pepper evenly. Optionally add dried peperoncino flakes. Shape into a thick round (25-30cm diameter, 4-5cm thick). Brush the surface with additional olive oil. Bake in a very hot oven (240-250°C wood-fired, or maximum domestic oven) for 25-30 minutes until the crust is firm and coloured. The crust should be slightly hard — this bread is meant to be torn, and a firm crust aids the tearing motion.
The black pepper in strazzata is coarsely cracked (not ground) — the coarse particles give visible texture and a burst of pepper flavour with each bite. Use a pepper mill on its coarsest setting, or crack the peppercorns in a mortar. In the Potenza area, strazzata is also made with grated Pecorino mixed into the dough — the cheese and pepper combination is excellent. Serve warm with aged local cheese and olives.
Insufficient pepper — strazzata must taste vigorously of black pepper; a light dusting produces a generic focaccia. Too much additional water — the olive oil is the hydrating fat; standard hydration is correct. Under-baking — the firm crust is a characteristic; soft-crusted strazzata is under-baked. Cutting instead of tearing — tearing is part of the social ritual of the bread.
Carol Field, The Italian Baker; Slow Food Editore, Basilicata in Cucina