To make this super soft focaccia, we start by preparing the starter or pre-ferment, whatever you want to call it.

1st phase

In a small bowl, pour room temperature water and dissolve the yeast in it.

Add the sifted flour and mix with a fork or spoon to perfectly blend the three ingredients. You will get a very soft dough that we will let rise at room temperature, well covered with plastic wrap, away from drafts or excessive heat sources.

2nd phase

When the starter is nicely swollen, let’s move on to making the real focaccia dough.

Gently transfer the starter, using a spatula, into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the sifted all-purpose flour and the water (keep 2 tablespoons aside to dissolve the fine salt) and knead this very soft dough roughly. Finally, add the salt dissolved in the 2 tablespoons of water kept aside and continue kneading for a minute to ensure it is perfectly absorbed. You will obtain a smooth but sticky dough that we will allow to rise in the bowl (or in the stand mixer), covered with plastic wrap at room temperature (away from heat sources or drafts).

3rd phase

Let’s prepare the grilled zucchini.

Wash them, remove the waste parts, and slice them thinly.

Heat a non-stick pan (or a cast iron grill). As soon as it’s hot, start grilling the zucchini slices on both sides; let them cool on a rack without seasoning them.

Thinly slice the smoked provola and place it in a sieve to let excess serum drain.

As soon as the dough has doubled in volume, generously flour a work surface with semolina (which will help dry the dough and handle it better than 00 or all-purpose flour).

Gently turn the dough onto the floured surface and divide it into two equal parts.

Oil the baking pan well and place one of the two dough parts inside.

Always acting gently and without pressing it onto the baking pan because it’s very, very soft, stretch the dough, widening it by taking it from underneath, until it covers the entire baking pan surface. If you can’t do it right away, don’t panic. Let the dough rest covered for 15 minutes, after which it will stretch perfectly.

Cover the stretched dough with part of the grilled and already cold zucchinis, sprinkle with plenty of grated table cheese, and last, add part of the provola, distributing it evenly.

Continue alternating layers of zucchinis, cheese, and provola until all the ingredients are used up.

Now roughly stretch the other half of the dough – without stretching it too much because it would be difficult to lift and place on the filling – oil your hands and transfer it over the filling.

Continue to gently stretch it until it covers the entire baking pan and perfectly seal the edges of the two sheets together, making a sort of cord on all four sides of the focaccia to prevent the filling from leaking out. Place the baking pan with the focaccia in the turned-off oven and let it rise for the last time.

4th phase

As soon as the focaccia is well risen (a clue will be the sealed edges of the focaccia that will have doubled in thickness), take it out of the oven and turn the oven on to the highest temperature.

When the oven has reached temperature, bake the focaccia on the middle shelf, immediately lower the oven temperature to 220°C (or 200°C if 220°C is not possible or unavailable) and bake it for about 20 minutes or until it is golden brown on the base. Turn on the grill and let it brown on the surface as well.

I hope you enjoy it

Bon appetit.