The Restaurant
Just how important is bread in Sicily? Almost as important as wine. Here from our ovens come the fruits of the seasons and of the grains, gifts of Demetra. I Banchi is, first and foremost, a bakery that uses selective and ancient flours.
Among the breads, a few things deserve special mentioning: Perciasacchi, one of the most prestigious grains of long farro; Rossello from which an every-day bread is made from a dense but hydrated dough with a soft center and trusty crust; and the black bread of Castelvetrano made from a blend of three flours: Tumilìa, Biancolilla and Rossello.
The term “focacce” encompasses two different entities: the thick bread doused in olive oil, salt and oregano, and the savory ingredient-laden breads.
There are two savory breads that we never go without: ham and cheese with eggplant; and mortadella with mozzarella, lemon, and pistachio.
I Banchi is, of course, a purveyor of many types of scacce ragusane – a typical Ragusan bread made with leavened dough and loaded with ingredients. Two basic versions are: tomato, eggplant, grated cheese and spinach; and caciocavallo cheese.
Finally, there is a revisited version of the Palermitan sfincione made with roasted onions, tomato concentrate, cheese and bread crumbs, excluding the original call for anchovies, which our replaced with sliced tomatoes.