EASY CHEESE FOCACCIA WITHOUT KNEADING The Ligurian Taste in 5 Minutes!
For a Genoese, focaccia is a true religion: thick, thin, with sage or onions, every “slerfa” (slice) is a piece of the heart. But among all, the Recco Cheese Focaccia is a true passion, a triumph of melting stracchino cheese enclosed between two very thin layers of unleavened dough. Its goodness is legendary, perfect for lunch, dinner, or as a tasty snack, and it’s almost impossible to have leftovers!
The traditional Recco Focaccia recipe, despite its simplicity, requires some time and skill to prepare the “pasta matta”. However, we don’t always have the time or desire to knead. And here comes the twist! Inspired by Sardinian genius, we’ve created a “fake” but incredibly effective version: the Easy Cheese Focaccia Without Kneading with Pane Carasau.
The result is simply amazing: crunchy on the outside, cheesy and super stretchy on the inside, each bite is a flavor explosion that will make you wonder how you managed to prepare it in just 5 minutes! The pane carasau, slightly moistened, surprisingly substitutes the traditional dough, providing a unique texture. This recipe is your kitchen joker: perfect when time is short but you want to serve something truly special, ideal for a last-minute appetizer with friends or simply to indulge yourself with a taste that recalls Liguria, without effort. Get ready to impress everyone!
Try it and you won’t be disappointed.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: rectangular pan 15.75×11.81
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 596.88 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 30.64 (g) of which sugars 0.71 (g)
- Proteins 22.51 (g)
- Fat 44.14 (g) of which saturated 2.67 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 1.31 (g)
- Sodium 1,454.93 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 sheets pane carasau (preferably in wedge format)
- 14 oz stracchino (or crescenza)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- water (to moisten pane carasau)
- 0.4 cups water
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches fine salt
Tools
- Food scale
- Baking tray
How to Prepare Cheese Focaccia without Kneading
Preheat the oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit static mode.
Preheat the oven in static mode to 410°F. Take a baking tray (round or rectangular) and line it with parchment paper, lightly greasing it with a drizzle of oil. Quickly pass a piece of pane carasau under the tap with slightly warm water. The goal is to moisten it, not soak it, to avoid breaking. Once moistened, place it on the tray. Proceed in the same way with the other pieces of pane carasau, slightly overlapping if necessary, until the base of the tray is completely covered, trying not to leave any spaces.
Completely cover the base of pane carasau with a generous layer of crescenza or stracchino cheese. You can distribute it by the spoonful, ensuring you are generous: the more cheese, the tastier and stretchier your focaccia will be! After finishing the cheese layer, cover with another layer of pane carasau, proceeding exactly as for the base: moisten the sheets under the tap and place them to completely cover the cheese, avoiding open spaces.
In a small bowl, prepare the brine by combining 100 ml of water, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and 2 pinches of fine salt. Mix well. With a kitchen brush, spread the brine over the focaccia surface, or spray it evenly. Bake the focaccia in the preheated static oven at 410°F (or 450°F as suggested in the original recipe for a quicker and crunchier result, but monitor carefully) for about 15 minutes. Cooking times may vary slightly depending on the oven.
To check if the focaccia is ready, the surface should be nicely golden, crunchy at the edges but slightly soft in the center. Once the desired golden color is reached, take it out immediately. Cheese focaccia is delicious hot, served immediately to enjoy its creaminess and stretchy cheese. It will be hard to resist the temptation to finish it before it cools!
NOTES Ingredients and Substitutions
Pane Carasau: This is the key ingredient for the crunchiness and speed of this “no-knead” recipe. Choose a good quality pane carasau, preferably not too thick. It is not advisable to substitute it with other types of bread or ready-made flatbreads, as they would not have the same texture and ability to absorb moisture and become crunchy.
Stracchino or Crescenza: These fresh and creamy cheeses are essential for the stretchy and flavorful filling. Make sure they are of excellent quality. Cheeses that are too watery, like ricotta (unless very dry), could make the focaccia too moist, and cheeses that are too hard would not melt well.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Essential for flavor and browning. Choose a good quality oil.
Salt: Use it sparingly, considering that the cheese is already savory.
Water for Moistening: Warm water is ideal for softening the carasau without making it soggy.
PRESERVATION
The Easy Cheese Focaccia Without Kneading is best consumed immediately, hot and stretchy. If there are any leftover portions (a rare event!), you can store them at room temperature for a few hours, or in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 day. To reheat, you can put it back in the preheated oven or in a non-stick pan until the cheese melts again. Freezing is not recommended, as the texture of the pane carasau and cheese might change.
Recipe Alternatives and Variations
This version of focaccia is already a brilliant variation of the original, but you can customize it further:
Cheese Variations: Mixed Cheeses: Try mixing stracchino with some mozzarella cubes (well-drained) or with robiola to vary the creaminess.
With Provolone: For a stronger and more stretchy flavor, add a few thin slices of sweet provolone along with the stracchino.
Filling Additions: Cooked Ham: You can add a thin layer of cooked ham between the cheese and the second layer of carasau for a richer flavor (e.g., 1.76-2.82 oz).
Vegetables: For a touch of color and flavor, try adding cooked and well-drained spinach, or grated zucchini sautéed in a pan, well-dried.
Herbs: A pinch of dried oregano or chopped rosemary on the cheese before covering can enrich the aroma.
Lactose-Free Focaccia: Use lactose-free stracchino or crescenza and make sure the extra virgin olive oil is pure. Pane carasau is naturally lactose-free.
Gluten-Free Focaccia: Pane carasau is naturally gluten-free, as are stracchino, olive oil, and salt. This recipe is therefore a great option for those following a gluten-free diet! Ensure all products you purchase are certified “gluten-free” to avoid cross-contamination.
Origins and History of Cheese Focaccia and the Carasau Inspiration
The Cheese Focaccia is an iconic specialty of Liguria, particularly in the town of Recco, from which the famous “Recco Cheese Focaccia” takes its name, enjoying the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) recognition. Its history is ancient and rooted in Ligurian peasant and maritime tradition, born from the need to create a substantial meal with few and simple available ingredients. The extremely thin, almost transparent dough and the generous filling of fresh stracchino are its distinctive traits.
The idea of using Pane Carasau in this recipe is a brilliant innovation drawing from two different Italian regional traditions: the Ligurian one for the cheese focaccia concept, and the Sardinian one for the use of pane carasau. Pane Carasau, also known as “carta musica”, is an ancient traditional Sardinian bread, light and crunchy, perfect for soups (like the cited Gallurese Soup) or as an accompaniment. This “no-knead” recipe is a modern example of regional fusion cuisine, where practicality meets culinary genius, allowing you to enjoy an iconic flavor with an incredibly quick preparation, without sacrificing crunchiness and deliciousness.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Should the pane carasau be very wet? Is there a risk of it breaking?
No, the pane carasau should be slightly moistened, not soaked. Quickly passing it under the tap with warm water is sufficient. If you soak it too much, it will become soft and difficult to handle without breaking. The goal is to make it flexible but still sturdy enough to place in the tray.
Can I use other types of cheese instead of stracchino or crescenza?
To get the authentic result and characteristic stretchiness of cheese focaccia, stracchino or crescenza are strongly recommended. Other fresh cheeses might have a texture that is too liquid (like ricotta, unless very dry) or may not melt the same way. You can try mixing a small part of well-drained mozzarella, but the creamy base and distinctive flavor come from stracchino/crescenza.
Is the focaccia suitable for being prepared in advance?
No, this focaccia is best consumed immediately after baking, when it’s hot, and the cheese is super stretchy, and the base is still crunchy. Preparing it in advance would compromise its texture (the carasau would tend to soften too much and lose its crunchiness). Instead, it’s a perfect dish to prepare at the last minute, as it only takes 5 minutes to assemble.
