Focaccia alla Norma original recipe.
We all know “La Norma” as the classic pasta recipe, but many don’t know that with the name “Norma” there are other dishes like the “Norma of Swordfish from the Strait” that made me known even in Japan, and of course this recipe.
The basic ingredients for both are purple eggplants, and salted or baked ricotta typical of my Sicily.
If you want a thin and slightly crunchy thickness, distribute the dough in 3 pans, otherwise if you want a higher and softer thickness, distribute it in 2 pans.
Traditional and Bimby recipe.

Thought for you:

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Rest time: 2 Hours
Preparation time: 40 Minutes
Portions: 6
Cooking methods: Electric oven
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

for the dough

28 oz all-purpose flour (or FiberPasta)
2 cups Water
1.4 oz Fresh yeast
2 oz Extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Sugar
0.5 oz Salt
2.2 lbs Eggplants (purple)
14 oz Toma cheese (Sicilian Tuma or sweet provolone)
2 cups Tomato puree
10.5 oz salted ricotta (or baked to grate)
as needed Salt
Oregano
Extra virgin olive oil
Pepper

Focaccia alla Norma original recipe

Tools

Chopping board
Knife
1 Stand mixer or the Bimby
3 Pans
Brush
4 Bowls

Preparation of the Focaccia alla Norma original recipe

First, cut the eggplants into cubes. I bake them in the oven seasoned with EVO oil, salt, pepper, and oregano, in a preheated oven at 356°F for 20 minutes.
But if you prefer, you can also fry them and let them drain.
If you bake them in the oven, as soon as they are cooked, turn off, and let them cool slightly, so when you prepare the dough, it can rise in the same oven, at a temperature around 98°F.
Let’s prepare the dough. I recommend kneading half the ingredients at a time, depending on whether you have a small or large stand mixer. Preheat the oven to 98°F for rising
Put the water at room temperature, sugar, crumbled yeast in the stand mixer, and mix until everything is dissolved.
Then, add the flour, EVO oil, salt, and knead
With the Bimby, put all the ingredients for the dough in the jug. Then 4 min. Knead
Continue until you get a dough that comes off the stand mixer bowl
At this point, grease a fairly large bowl with a brush
Place the dough in the bowl, cover it, and let it rise in the preheated oven for at least 2 hours, until it has doubled. Meanwhile…
This is our Sicilian Tuma, but if you can’t find it, sweet provolone could work.
Cut the tuma into small pieces; if you prefer, you can use a food processor to do it faster
Grease the pans with EVO oil. Remove the dough from the oven, and increase the temperature to 428°F; if your oven has a pizza mode, that’s fine, otherwise, set it to static mode.
When the rising time is up, divide the dough into the pans.
Remember that if you want the focaccia to be thick and soft, divide it into 2 pans; if, on the other hand, you prefer a thin and slightly crunchy dough, divide it into 3 pans.
Spread the dough using your fingertips, from the center to the sides. You’ll notice it’s elastic.
Spread tomato puree seasoned with salt and a pinch of sugar.
Then add the grated tuma, and…
Finally, add the diced eggplant with a bit of coarsely grated salted ricotta on top. Leave a bit of it, which we’ll add almost at the end of baking.
Place the first pan in the oven on the lowest rack, right at the bottom for 5 minutes.
After the time has passed, take it out, add a bit of the tuma and the remaining ricotta, and put it back for 2 minutes on the highest part of the oven, while you can put the next pan on the lower part
Before serving, brush all the edges with EVO oil.
Here is the Focaccia alla Norma original recipe ready.
You can also make it in a round shape.