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Three puccia salentina rolls on a wooden board, one split open with capocollo, burrata, and grilled eggplant filling

Puccia Salentina: The Stuffed Bread Roll From Puglia

A traditional Pugliese bread roll from Salento, baked at high heat and filled with cured meats, soft cheese, or grilled vegetables.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 6 rolls
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Puccia dough
  • 300 g 00 flour plus extra for dusting
  • 100 g fine semola rimacinata (re-milled durum semolina)
  • 250 ml warm water 35-38 C
  • 7 g instant dried yeast 1 standard sachet
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 g fine sea salt about 1.5 tsp
Classic filling (per roll)
  • 3 slices capocollo or cured pork neck approx. 40 g
  • 50 g burrata or fresh fior di latte mozzarella torn into pieces
  • 2 pieces grilled eggplant slices optional
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
  • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. Combine the '00' flour and semola rimacinata in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the instant yeast and stir to distribute evenly.
  2. Pour in the warm water and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then add the salt.
  3. Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes, or with a dough hook on medium speed for 6-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and pulls away cleanly from the bowl.
  4. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and leave to rise at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
Shape the rolls
  1. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 6 equal pieces, about 110 g each.
  2. Shape each piece into a tight round by folding the edges under and rolling on the work surface to build tension. Flatten each round gently to about 1.5 cm thick.
  3. Place on a lightly floured baking tray or parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover loosely with a cloth and rest for 20-30 minutes while the oven heats.
Bake
  1. Heat the oven to 220 C / 430 F with a baking stone or inverted sheet pan on the middle rack. Allow at least 30 minutes for the oven to reach full temperature.
  2. Score the top of each roll once with a sharp knife or lame.
  3. Slide the rolls onto the hot baking surface. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the crust is pale gold with dark blistered spots and the rolls sound hollow when tapped on the base.
  4. Transfer to a wire rack and rest for at least 5 minutes before splitting.
Fill and serve
  1. Split each warm puccia horizontally with a bread knife, keeping the halves attached at the back like a hinge.
  2. Layer in the capocollo slices, then add torn burrata and grilled eggplant if using.
  3. Drizzle with a little olive oil, add a pinch of black pepper, and serve immediately while the bread is still warm.

Notes

For a more complex flavor, try a cold overnight rise in the fridge after shaping and bake the rolls straight from the refrigerator the next morning.