Schiacciata (Tuscan Flat Hearth Bread)

Schiacciata, which means “flattened” or “squashed,” is a kind of focaccia. Even in places where the dominant bread was big and round, flatbreads were once almost universal too. Forming some of the dough into flat rounds was a way to test the oven’s heat. In the oldest type of wood-fired oven, schiacciate go in first, when the temperature is highest. The…