Focaccia di Recco (cheese-filled focaccia)
Makes 2 quarter-sheet-pan-sized focaccias
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 TB cold water
1 TB extra-virgin olive oil
¾ tsp fine salt
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp cornmeal (or semolina, or even polenta in a pinch)
10 oz crescenza-stracchino cheese (or taleggio, if you can’t find stracchino)
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ tsp coarse salt, divided
Directions
Add the flour, water, 1 tablespoon of oil, and the salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead for 5-6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and not sticky (you can also do this by hand if you like…maybe knead for about 10 minutes).
Remove the dough, shape into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest on the countertop for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the middle position and set the oven to 500F. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to a quarter-sheet plan and spread to grease the bottom. Sprinkle over the cornmeal. Set aside.
After the rest period, divide the dough in half (one half can be used immediately to make a second focaccia, or frozen for later use).
Divide the dough-half in half again, and on a floured surface, shape one piece of the dough into a rectangle, then roll it out to about 6-inches x 8-inches. It doesn’t have to be exact.
Now, the fun part, and make sure your prepared sheet pan is nearby. Picking up the dough, drape it over the backs of your hands and gently stretch it, slowly working your way around the circumference once or twice.
Once you have it stretched close to the size of the sheet pan, drape it over it and starting from the short side nearest you, stretch the dough left and right, corner to corner, making sure it overhangs the edge of the sheet pan.
Spin the pan around and do the same with the other short side, then work the long sides, pulling and stretching the dough over the edges of the pan. Much of the dough may not even touch the bottom of the pan, that’s ok. It should be tissue-thin, and if it tears, just patch it back together.
Really, it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds, and it doesn’t take all that long.
Now, break off chunks of the cheese and spread it evenly over the bottom dough. Once that’s done, roll and stretch the second piece of dough the same way, drape it over the sheet pan, forming a top dough over the cheese. Be sure to pull and stretch it over the pan edges the same as you did the first.
There, that wasn’t so bad. Now, take your rolling pin and run it around the edges of the pan to cut and remove the excess dough. Do what you like with those scraps. Next, push the edges of the dough down into the pan and roll the edge back on itself a little, then press it to seal it.
Tear a few holes in the top to vent the steam, drizzle some olive oil over it, and sprinkle with the coarse salt. That’s it.
Into the oven for 7-9 minutes, until the top has puffed and browned nicely. Keep an eye on it.
Remove from the oven, let it sit maybe five minutes, then onto a cutting board to slice and serve.
Recipe slightly based on one from Chef John/FoodWishes.com/Allrecipies.
Makes 2 quarter-sheet-pan-sized focaccias
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 TB cold water
1 TB extra-virgin olive oil
¾ tsp fine salt
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp cornmeal (or semolina, or even polenta in a pinch)
10 oz crescenza-stracchino cheese (or taleggio, if you can’t find stracchino)
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ tsp coarse salt, divided
Directions
Add the flour, water, 1 tablespoon of oil, and the salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead for 5-6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and not sticky (you can also do this by hand if you like…maybe knead for about 10 minutes).
Remove the dough, shape into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest on the countertop for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the middle position and set the oven to 500F. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to a quarter-sheet plan and spread to grease the bottom. Sprinkle over the cornmeal. Set aside.
After the rest period, divide the dough in half (one half can be used immediately to make a second focaccia, or frozen for later use).
Divide the dough-half in half again, and on a floured surface, shape one piece of the dough into a rectangle, then roll it out to about 6-inches x 8-inches. It doesn’t have to be exact.
Now, the fun part, and make sure your prepared sheet pan is nearby. Picking up the dough, drape it over the backs of your hands and gently stretch it, slowly working your way around the circumference once or twice.
Once you have it stretched close to the size of the sheet pan, drape it over it and starting from the short side nearest you, stretch the dough left and right, corner to corner, making sure it overhangs the edge of the sheet pan.
Spin the pan around and do the same with the other short side, then work the long sides, pulling and stretching the dough over the edges of the pan. Much of the dough may not even touch the bottom of the pan, that’s ok. It should be tissue-thin, and if it tears, just patch it back together.
Really, it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds, and it doesn’t take all that long.
Now, break off chunks of the cheese and spread it evenly over the bottom dough. Once that’s done, roll and stretch the second piece of dough the same way, drape it over the sheet pan, forming a top dough over the cheese. Be sure to pull and stretch it over the pan edges the same as you did the first.
There, that wasn’t so bad. Now, take your rolling pin and run it around the edges of the pan to cut and remove the excess dough. Do what you like with those scraps. Next, push the edges of the dough down into the pan and roll the edge back on itself a little, then press it to seal it.
Tear a few holes in the top to vent the steam, drizzle some olive oil over it, and sprinkle with the coarse salt. That’s it.
Into the oven for 7-9 minutes, until the top has puffed and browned nicely. Keep an eye on it.
Remove from the oven, let it sit maybe five minutes, then onto a cutting board to slice and serve.
Recipe slightly based on one from Chef John/FoodWishes.com/Allrecipies.
