Long, skinny stecce loaves studded with olives or cherry tomatoes are just thick enough to split and use for sandwiches.  Made from a dough very similar to pizza bianca, the stecce are slightly less chewy than p.b, with a thinner, crisp crust.

Jim Lahey’s recipe (p 77 of My Bread) calls for 3 cups bread flour, 1/2 tsp table salt, 3/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp instant yeast, and 1 1/2 cups cool water, stirred together in a large bowl.  The mixture rests, covered, for 12-18 hours.  Next, pour the dough out (in one big blob) onto a generously floured counter. shape gently into a flattish oval, and let it rest for 2 hours.  (About 30 minutes before the end of the 2-hour period, heat the oven to 500 degrees).  Divide the dough into four equal pieces.  Lift each piece onto a greased, 13×18 baking sheet, stretching the dough to extend the full length of the baking sheet.  Press in pitted olives or halved cherry tomatoes (sprinkle tomatoes with coarse salt).  Bake for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Delicious directly out of the oven, the cooled stecce need  a quick reheating or toasting to bring out their best flavor.