Focaccia col Formaggio (Ligurian Crisp Cheese Flatbread)
Updated Oct. 18, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes, plus 45 minutes’ resting
- Prep Time
- 25 minutes
- Cook Time
- 45 minutes, plus 45 minutes’ resting
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1½cups/200 grams bread flour (preferably King Arthur; see Tip), plus more for kneading
- 1½teaspoons/6 grams fine salt
- Scant ½ cup/100 grams room temperature water
- 2tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons/25 grams extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
- 8ounces/227 grams Crescenza cheese (see Tip)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
305 calories; 17 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 224 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
Add flour and 1 teaspoon salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. On second lowest speed, slowly incorporate the water followed by the oil, scraping down the sides as needed. If the dough separates into pieces, pause the mixer and use your hands to recombine the dough into a ball. Let the mixer run for 8 minutes total.
- Step 2
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 20 seconds, then form into a smooth ball; it should feel tacky. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a cloth or plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Step 3
Thoroughly coat the surface of a large rimmed baking sheet (at least 12- by 17-inches) with plenty of oil (at least 2 tablespoons), brushing evenly. (Be sure to use a sheet that’s rimmed, as some cheese may ooze out of the bread.) Heat oven to 500 degrees, setting rack to middle position.
- Step 4
Divide the dough ball in half. Place one half on a lightly floured work surface; leave the remaining dough in the bowl, covered. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as thinly as possible from the middle outward. You want to form a rectangle slightly smaller than the dimensions of the baking sheet. The dough should be very thin, like sheets of fresh lasagna (if standing next to a window, you should see sunlight through the dough). Gently drape the dough onto the oiled baking sheet, trimming off any edges that hang over.
- Step 5
Using your thumb and fingers, pinch off 16 to 20 small chunks of cheese (around the size of a large cherry tomato) and dollop on the dough, starting in the center and working your way towards the edge, leaving a 1½-inch border. Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon salt evenly over the cheese.
- Step 6
Lightly flour the work surface again, and roll out the remaining dough ball to roughly the same dimensions as the first. Drape this second sheet over the cheese-topped dough. Gently stretch out the top sheet to nearly align with the edges of the bottom sheet. Lift the lip of the bottom sheet and fold over the top sheet. Then use fingers to press down along the edge, firmly sealing the two layers of dough. Using a paring knife, make 6 evenly spaced slits (2 rows of 3) on the top layer.
- Step 7
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the top is toasty, bubbly like pizza crust, and deep brown in spots. Let cool for 2 minutes. Carefully transfer focaccia to a wooden cutting board. Cut into 12 pieces and serve immediately.
- If you can’t find fresh Crescenza, substitute Stracchino or Taleggio. For those, Fred Plotkin suggests adding the fresh cheese to a bowl and incorporating 2 tablespoons of buttermilk to mimic Crescenza’s creaminess and tang. If using Taleggio, cut away and discard the rind first.
- Bread flour is ideal for this recipe and while any type will work, the King Arthur brand contains a higher protein level than most flour commercially available. (It’s about 12.7 percent compared to 12 percent for many other brands.) Practically speaking, using King Arthur bread flour won’t yield a better tasting focaccia, but it'll make the dough easier to work with (flour with higher protein levels absorbs more water). You can also use 00 flour. Just make sure to find one suitable for bread baking, and not, say, 00 flour for pastas.
Private Notes
Comments
I had everything I needed except the correct cheese, so I substituted fresh mozzarella. Very nice, even if less tangy! The cheese was milky and melty when steaming hot but firmed as it cooled at the table. I served this with a white bean and tomato stew and had hoped for leftovers to have in the morning but my family devoured the entire thing.
Chomedy, Laval When growing up in a greek household, my mom would make something similar. Taking what ever dough was left over from making her amazing spanakopita, to rolling out the dough very thin, adding feta cheese instead of the Crescenza cheese, greasing the pan with olive oil, bake till golden brown, and voila. The cheeses may be different, but something utterly amazing came out of that oven.
I've done this a few times with Taleggio. Fun and impressive to make in front of guests, who will be drooling by the time the focaccia comes out of the oven.
@Elisa the focaccia in the picture is not burnt. The dough could be better and there isn't enough melted cheese inside (probably because the original is cooked in a hotter oven and less time). The best focaccia col formaggio di Recco should be crispy, salty, a bit burnt and with lot of melted cheese inside. Source: I'm from Recco and my family own the oldest restaurant in town
I made a half recipe, but otherwise followed the recipe except used paddle instead of dough hook due to small size of dough. It was in all ways terrible. The crust was salty, crispy and thin, the Crescenza flavor overpowering. I used old "00" flour, maybe that contributed. Obviously, others had better results. If I were to attempt something like this again, I would use a tried and true pizza crust recipe and basically treat it as a calzone using a favorite cheese.
This is amazing! I am going to make it for a charity event that is coming up at my house as part of our finger foods. I made it with two cheeses to experiment with- one paS|art was Brillat-Savarin Affine - from Bourgogne in France and Taleggio mixed with buttermilk. Both were amazing. And it is super attractive to look at as it comes out of the oven. For the event, I am going to prepare the flatbread and stuff it in advance. Then, I am going to bake it after guests arrive. The best thing is that it doesn’t need any sauce or dip. I am a fan of dips and sauces - but none required for this.
Advertisement