The stuffed focaccia with eggplant and ham is made from an 80% hydrated dough without kneading, prepared all in the bowl with the aid of a spatula, and left to rest overnight to achieve a very soft focaccia and ultra-digestible, then stuffed with grilled eggplant, cooked ham, and cheese. A real delight!
Want to see how I prepared the focaccia dough? You can find the video recipe HERE on my TikTok profile or HERE on my Instagram profile @isaporidicasa
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 1 pan
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 2/3 cups water at room temperature
- 1 tsp dry yeast (I use Mastrofornaio)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggplants
- 5 1/3 oz cooked ham
- 5 1/3 oz sweet gorgonzola (or a cheese of your choice)
- 1 clove garlic
- chopped parsley
- salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/3 oz Grana Padano DOP
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Bowl
Preparation
Pour the water at room temperature into a large bowl, with the dry yeast, shake the bowl to mix and let it rest for 5 minutes
Pour the flour and mix with the spatula and make sure it blends well. The dough is very wet so it is necessary to mix with the spatula or a wooden spoon
Finally, add the extra virgin olive oil and fine salt, and mix again with the spatula until you form a very soft and sticky ball
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature away from drafts.
30 minutes later, remove the plastic wrap from the bowl, wet your hands with water, and fold the dough 4 times towards the center, very gently being careful not to tear it (here you can see the video recipe on my Instagram profile @isaporidicasa). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature. Then make another two rounds of folds, letting the dough rest for 20 minutes between each round of folding.
After folding it 3 times, cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator. The next day you will have a very puffy, soft dough full of bubbles.
Cut the eggplants into slices. Place them in the bowl with cold water and a pinch of coarse salt. Let them rest for 30 minutes. After the time has passed, rinse thoroughly, pat dry with kitchen paper, and grill on a hot grill.
Place them on the serving plate and season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, a pinch of salt, and fresh chopped parsley.
Divide the dough into two equal parts. Place the first part on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and greased with a little extra virgin olive oil. Spread it with hands moistened with water and let it rise for another hour covered with a cloth.
Place the grilled eggplants leaving the edges free
Then add cooked ham and gorgonzola
Finally, sprinkle with grated Grana Padano
Separately, always with moistened hands, spread the other half of the dough and lay it over the filling. Seal the edges well and let rise for another hour covered with a cloth. Finally, drizzle the surface with a little oil, add a few grains of coarse salt, and prick the surface with your fingertips. Cook in the oven at 428°F for about 25 minutes until it is puffed and golden. Enjoy your meal! And, if you like, you can find the video recipe on the Instagram profile @isaporidicasa HERE
