Sourdough Scarpaccia (Tuscan Zucchini Tart)
If you've never had scarpaccia before, then this sourdough scarpaccia is worth trying. It's a crispy tuscan zucchini tart made with thinly sliced zucchini, sweet onion, sourdough discard, and olive oil. It's thin, savory, and golden around the edges, serve it warm with a simple salad for lunch, alongside grilled meat for dinner.
I love making this when the garden starts giving us more zucchini than we know what to do with. Instead of making another loaf of zucchini bread, this gives you a simple savory way to use it up.
This is also a nice recipe to have on hand if you have some sourdough discard waiting in the fridge. You don't need much discard, and there's no long fermentation to worry about, like this sourdough discard zucchini bread and sourdough double chocolate zucchini muffins.
Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: none
- Final Proof: none
- Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Difficulty: Easy
- Baking Method: Oven-baked
- Best For: Lunch, side dish, light dinner, appetizers, and using up fresh zucchini
Jump to:
- Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Sourdough Scarpaccia (Tuscan Zucchini Tart)
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Sourdough Scarpaccia (Tuscan Zucchini Tart)
- Other Delicious Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Sourdough Scarpaccia (Tuscan Zucchini Tart)
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Sourdough Recipes You'll Love
- Cinnamon Roll Sourdough French Toast
- Fresh Milled Apple Cinnamon Crumble Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
- Sourdough Tomato Pesto Olive Focaccia
Important Ingredients
- Zucchini that gives the scarpaccia its tender texture, fresh flavor, and lightly caramelized edges.
- Sweet Onion adds a gentle sweetness and savory flavor that pairs nicely with the zucchini.
- Sourdough Discard adds a subtle tang and helps the thin batter brown nicely in the oven.
- All-Purpose Flour helps bind the zucchini and onion together without making the scarpaccia too thick.
- Parmesan Cheese adds salty, savory flavor to the batter and creates a tasty golden topping.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil helps the edges crisp up while adding rich, fruity flavor throughout the dish.
- Italian Herbs adds a simple blend of herbs that works well with the zucchini and Parmesan.
- Sea Salt draws excess moisture from the zucchini while seasoning the vegetables.
- Black Pepper adds a little warmth and balances the sweetness of the zucchini and onion.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can used yellow summer squash on its own or mixed with zucchini.
- If you don't have sweet onion, yellow onion or a small red onion will also work.
- For Parmesan, pecorino romano can be used for a stronger, saltier flavor.
- Instead of dried italian herbs, you can use fresh basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, or oregano.
- Add a little extra Parmesan to the top during the last few minutes of baking for a more savory crust.
How to Make Sourdough Scarpaccia (Tuscan Zucchini Tart)
Step 1: Place the thinly sliced zucchini and onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1.5 teaspoon of salt and toss well. (Image 1)
Let sit for 45-60 minutes.
The vegetables will soften and release a surprising amount of liquid.
Step 2: Transfer the vegetables to a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze out most of the liquid. (Image 2)
Don't squeeze them completely dry.
Most importantly, reserve all of the zucchini liquid. You'll use it to make the batter.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, flour, Parmesan, olive oil, several grinds of black pepper, italian herbs, and about 100g of the reserved zucchini liquid until you have a smooth batter about the consistency of heavy cream or a loose pancake batter. (Image 3)
You'll typically use around 100-120 g of liquid, but let the consistency guide you rather than the exact amount.
Step 4: Fold the zucchini and onions into the batter until every slice is lightly coated. (Image 4)
The mixture should look like mostly vegetables with just enough batter to hold everything together, not like vegetables swimming in batter.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Generously drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a 9×14-inch baking dish or sheet pan.
Spread the zucchini mixture into an even layer about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and drizzle with a little more olive oil. (Image 5)
Step 6: Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
The scarpaccia is ready when the edges are deep golden brown and crisp, the top is nicely browned, and the zucchini has lightly caramelized. (Image 6)
If needed, broil for the final 1-2 minutes to deepen the color, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a crisp green salad, grilled meats, or enjoy it on its own as a light lunch.
Hint: Save the zucchini liquid. After salting and squeezing the zucchini, don't pour that liquid down the drain. It becomes part of the batter and adds more zucchini flavor.
Baking Schedule
- 10:00 AM - Slice & Salt the Vegetables
- 10:45 - Squeeze the Zucchini
- 11:00 AM - Make the Batter and Combine
- 11:15 AM - Prepare the Pan
- 11:30 AM - Bake
- 12:15 PM - Rest & Serve
💭Crucial Success Tips
Don't squeeze the zucchini completely dry. Remove most of the liquid, but leave the vegetables with a little moisture.
Recipe FAQs
Scarpaccia is a thin Tuscan savory tart made with zucchini, onion, flour, and olive oil. It has a texture somewhere between a crispy flatbread, savory pancake, and vegetable tart.
Yes. The sourdough discard adds flavor, but the recipe can be adapted if you don't have any. You may need to adjust the flour and liquid slightly to get the same loose batter consistency.
Look for deep golden-brown, crisp edges and a nicely browned top. The zucchini should look tender and lightly caramelized. If you want more color, you can broil it for 1-2 minutes while watching it closely.
How To Store Sourdough Scarpaccia (Tuscan Zucchini Tart)
Let the scarpaccia cool completely before storing it. Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Other Delicious Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Sourdough Scarpaccia (Tuscan Zucchini Tart)
- Sourdough Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Sourdough Discard Pancake Bowls
- Sourdough Palatschinken (Central European Crepes with Sourdough Starter or Discard)
If you tried this sourdough scarpaccia (tuscan zucchini tart) or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Scarpaccia (Tuscan Zucchini Tart)
Ingredients
For the zucchini
- 800 g zucchini very thinly sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion about 150 g, very thinly sliced
- 10 g fine sea salt about 1.5 teaspoons
For the batter
- 100 g sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 70 g all-purpose flour
- 35 g finely grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon italian herb mix optional, you can always also use fresh herbs of choice here! I like to keep them Italian inspired.
For topping
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky salt optional
Instructions
- Place the thinly sliced zucchini and onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1.5 teaspoon of salt and toss well.Let sit for 45–60 minutes.The vegetables will soften and release a surprising amount of liquid.
- Transfer the vegetables to a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze out most of the liquid.Don't squeeze them completely dry.Most importantly, reserve all of the zucchini liquid. You'll use it to make the batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, flour, Parmesan, olive oil, several grinds of black pepper, italian herbs, and about 100g of the reserved zucchini liquid until you have a smooth batter about the consistency of heavy cream or a loose pancake batter. You'll typically use around 100-120 g of liquid, but let the consistency guide you rather than the exact amount.
- Fold the zucchini and onions into the batter until every slice is lightly coated.The mixture should look like mostly vegetables with just enough batter to hold everything together, not like vegetables swimming in batter.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).Generously drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a 9×14-inch baking dish or sheet pan.Spread the zucchini mixture into an even layer about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and drizzle with a little more olive oil.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.The scarpaccia is ready when the edges are deep golden brown and crisp, the top is nicely browned, and the zucchini has lightly caramelized.If needed, broil for the final 1-2 minutes to deepen the color, watching carefully to prevent burning.Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.Serve warm or at room temperature with a crisp green salad, grilled meats, or enjoy it on its own as a light lunch.
Notes
- Slice the zucchini as thinly as possible. A mandoline is ideal for this recipe and gives the most authentic texture, but a very sharp knife works too. Aim for slices about 1-2 mm (1/16 inch) thick. Thin slices soften quickly, release more moisture during salting, and crisp beautifully in the oven. Thicker slices can leave the scarpaccia watery and won't caramelize as evenly.
- Don't skip salting the zucchini. This step concentrates the flavor and prevents a watery scarpaccia.
- Use the zucchini liquid instead of water whenever possible. It adds more flavor and keeps the recipe true to the traditional method.
- Don't be afraid of deep browning. The crispy, caramelized edges are one of the best parts of scarpaccia.
