FOCACCIA WITH CHEESE LIGURIAN style from Recco
Liguria is famous for its focaccia — that lovely oil-brushed bread that is soft yet crisp at the same time and full of holes.
But you must not forget another focaccia, equally tasty and succulent, which in fact has very little to do with the classic version: the cheese focaccia typical of Recco.
A succulent dish typical of Ligurian cuisine, prepared with two sheets of dough rolled extremely thin, almost like a veil, between which soft fresh cheese is placed — a sort of stracchino-like cheese that is neither too watery nor too acidic, which in the past was made from the typical local “formaggetta”.
This is not a classic focaccia dough made with yeast, but a kind of “pasta matta” composed only of water and flour without yeast, which is why the thinness of the dough is essential.
To achieve it, a rolling pin is not enough: you will need to thin it as much as possible using both closed fists, lifting it from underneath until you get a sort of transparent veil, using the same movements you would for strudel dough.
This recipe was passed down to me by my dad who, since I was little, charmed me by tossing the dough into the air and spinning it around!!!!
Does it seem difficult? Don’t be afraid — with my tips you too can make a delicious RECCO CHEESE FOCACCIA at home even if you live in Rome or Milan.
And once you taste it you won’t let it go!!! Serve strictly hot!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
For the dough
- 4 cups (about 500 g / 17.6 oz) Manitoba flour
- 3 1/3 tbsp (about 50 ml / 1.7 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil (10% of the flour weight)
- 1 1/4 cups (about 300 ml / 10.1 fl oz) water (warm)
- 1 tsp (about 5 g) fine salt
- 18 oz (about 500 g / 1.1 lb) crescenza (stracchino-like fresh cheese) (if available I recommend Invernizzi)
- extra virgin olive oil (as needed)
- water (as needed)
- fine salt (as needed)
Tools
- Bowl
- Baking pan
Preparation
Put the flour, the extra virgin olive oil and finally the room-temperature water and salt into a bowl.
Work initially with a spoon until you obtain a homogeneous dough, this will take about 5-6 minutes.
Then transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it by hand until it becomes smooth and homogeneous.
Form a ball, cover it with a cloth and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
At this point divide the dough into 2 parts; they will serve as the base and the top of the focaccia.
After the resting time, take one of the two parts and leave the other covered.
Dust the work surface lightly with flour and press the dough slightly with your hands, then begin to roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
You should obtain a rectangular sheet with a uniform thickness of about 1 mm (approx. 1/32 inch) and a size slightly larger than the baking pan (about 8 x 15 3/4 in — 20 x 40 cm).
Brush the baking pan with oil, then lay the sheet you just rolled out in the pan letting the excess edges hang over.
Distribute the crescenza in small pieces across the interior, leaving a few centimeters between each little mound.
Now roll out the second piece of dough. In theory the top sheet should be even thinner than the base, almost like a veil.
Lay the top sheet over the pan being careful not to tear it.
Seal well by pressing lightly on the edges, then pinch little holes in the dough above the crescenza with your fingers.
This way the dough will not form bubbles during baking.
Brush the surface with a mixture of warm water and oil (equal parts) and a pinch of salt.
Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 482°F (250°C) for about 10 minutes.
Remember that cooking times are indicative since every oven is different, so I recommend checking after 8 minutes.
It should become golden, almost slightly charred on the surface.
Once ready, remove from the oven, let it cool for just 2 minutes, then serve immediately.
STORAGE
If you have leftovers once it’s baked you can safely store it in the refrigerator in a closed container; it keeps for 1 day. Reheat briefly in the microwave for a few seconds before serving. It can also be frozen.
TIPS:
If the dough tends to shrink back while you are stretching it, wait a few minutes before continuing — it clearly hasn’t rested enough.
It is preferable to put many small pieces of crescenza rather than large ones, otherwise they may not melt completely during baking.
My recipe has also been included in the book From the Mill to the Table, which you can find and purchase on Amazon both in Kindle and paperback formats by clicking here From the Mill to the Table: how flour is used in different Italian regions.
If you love focaccia also check out
Foolproof homemade FOCACCIA recipe — easy and quick
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