Stuffed Focaccia with Broccoli Rabe, a simple but flavorful dish that represents a great alternative to classic focaccia and allows you to enjoy broccoli rabe in an original and appetizing way.
Perfect for a quick lunch, an outdoor picnic, or a tasty aperitif, stuffed focaccia is a real ace up the sleeve of Italian cuisine.
It can be served hot or warm, cut into slices, and is perfect for accompanying cold cuts, cheeses, or grilled vegetables.
It’s excellent to serve during a buffet, an informal lunch, a picnic, or an aperitif.
Let’s see together how to make the recipe for Stuffed Focaccia with Broccoli Rabe. Get the ingredients ready as we begin.
And if you try it, don’t forget to let me know in the comments on my Facebook page HERE. I’ll be waiting.
Gabriella
Other delicious leavened goods to try:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups sparkling water
- 1 packet dry yeast (or 1 cube of fresh yeast)
- 4 cups Manitoba flour
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2.2 lbs broccoli rabe
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- to taste chili pepper (or pepper)
- 7 oz stracchino (I use rice version)
- to taste grated Parmesan
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Pot
- 1 Slotted Spoon
- 1 Pan
- 1 Chopper
- 1 Baking Dish
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Jar
- 1 Brush
Steps
First, put the water at room temperature in the bowl of the stand mixer with the yeast and oil and start kneading. Gradually add the flour and knead until you get a more or less compact dough. At this point, add the salt and knead for about 4 – 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball and let it rise in a lightly oiled bowl for about 2 hours, or until it doubles in volume. Here is the dough before and after rising.
Meanwhile, clean the broccoli rabe by removing the tough stems, rinse and cut them into pieces. Blanch them in plenty of salted water for about 4 – 5 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon and immerse them immediately in ice water. Drain, wring out, and chop them into pieces.
In a pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil with the chopped onion and garlic, add the broccoli rabe, season with salt and pepper or chili pepper, and sauté for a few minutes, stirring, until they are well flavored. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Once the dough has risen, line a baking sheet or a baking dish about 11-12 inches in diameter with parchment paper greased with oil, then divide the dough into 2 parts and spread one of the parts directly into the dish, spreading it with your hands.
Distribute the sautéed broccoli rabe evenly over the focaccia base, leaving a small border free. Add the stracchino in pieces (or another cheese – I use rice stracchino) on top of the broccoli rabe, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan (or nutritional yeast flakes).
Roll out the second part of the dough on a lightly floured surface and place it gently over the filling. Seal the edges of the two bases well by pinching or rolling them. Put a bit more than 1/2 cup of water in a jar, along with 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and salt; shake the jar to create an emulsion and brush it on the focaccia.
Cover the stuffed focaccia with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes (optional). This will make the focaccia even fluffier. In more than one case, I skipped this step, and the focaccia remained fluffy.
Preheat the oven to 428°F (fan oven). Bake the focaccia on the lower part and let it cook for about 15 minutes, then move it to the upper part and finish cooking for another 10 minutes approximately.
Remove the stuffed focaccia with broccoli rabe from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing and serving.
It’s delicious both hot and at room temperature.
Until the next recipe.
Storage
You can store Stuffed Focaccia with Broccoli Rabe for 1-2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
If you plan to consume the stuffed focaccia within a few hours (up to 4-6 hours, depending on room temperature), you can safely leave it at room temperature.
Variants
– Stuffed Focaccia with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage: a hearty and flavorful combination. The crumbled and browned sausage pairs perfectly with the slightly bitter sweetness of the broccoli rabe.
– Focaccia with Broccoli Rabe, Mozzarella, and Anchovies: an intriguing contrast of flavors. The delicacy of mozzarella blends with the saltiness of anchovies, while the broccoli rabe adds a vegetal and slightly bitter note. A burst of flavor in every bite.
– Stuffed Focaccia with Broccoli Rabe, Stracchino, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: a creamy and intense combination.
– Whole Wheat Stuffed Focaccia with Broccoli Rabe and Taggiasca Olives: a more rustic and fragrant variant. The whole wheat dough gives a more intense flavor to the focaccia, while the small, flavorful Taggiasca olives beautifully integrate with the broccoli rabe.
– White Focaccia Stuffed with Broccoli Rabe Cream and Ricotta: a creamy and delicate filling. The broccoli rabe is blended into a velvety cream, enriched by the freshness of ricotta.
Tips and Suggestions
– Chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano can be added to both the dough and the filling for extra aroma.
– Mozzarella, provolone, or stracchino are excellent cheeses to add to the filling. Cut them into cubes and distribute them over the broccoli rabe before baking the focaccia. They will melt, creating a creamy filling.
– To make the focaccia even richer, you can add crumbled and browned sausage along with the broccoli rabe.
– Vegan Alternative: for a vegan version, you can use rice stracchino and nutritional yeast flakes instead of parmesan.
– Vegan Alternative: for a vegan version, you can use rice stracchino and nutritional yeast flakes instead of parmesan.
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