Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •30cm round baking pan or rimmed sheet pan
• •Pizza stone or steel (recommended)
• •Clean work surface for stretching dough
• •Kitchen scissors for cutting

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mound the flour on a clean work surface and create a well in the center. Add the warm water, olive oil, and salt to the well. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour from the inner walls of the well into the liquid. When the mixture becomes too thick for the fork, use your hands. Knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough that does not stick to your hands, about 8 minutes. The dough should feel like your earlobe when pressed: soft, pliable, yielding.

   If the dough feels stiff, your flour absorbed more liquid. Add water by the teaspoon. If it sticks, dust with flour. Climate affects hydration. Trust your hands, not the measurements.
2. 2

   Rest the dough

   Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball, coat lightly with olive oil, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes stretching possible. Skip this rest and the dough will fight you.

3. 3

   Prepare for stretching

   Position a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 260°C (500°F), or as high as your oven will go. If you have a pizza stone or steel, place it on the rack now. Oil a 30cm round baking pan or rimmed sheet pan generously with olive oil. Have more oil within reach.

4. 4

   Stretch the bottom layer

   Work on a lightly floured surface. Take one ball of dough and begin pressing it outward with your fingertips. When it reaches the size of a small plate, drape it over your knuckles and begin stretching from the center outward, rotating as you work. Let gravity help. The dough should become nearly translucent. You should see the shadow of your hands through it. Drape this first sheet into the oiled pan, letting the excess hang over the edges. Patch any tears by pressing the dough together.

   Work quickly. Once stretched, the dough dries and becomes brittle. If you must pause, cover with a damp towel. Confidence matters here. Hesitation causes tears.
5. 5

   Add the cheese

   Tear the stracchino into rough pieces about the size of walnuts and distribute them evenly across the dough, leaving a 2cm border. Do not spread the cheese into a solid layer. The gaps allow steam to escape and create the characteristic bubbled surface. The cheese should be at room temperature, soft enough to tear easily.

6. 6

   Stretch and seal the top layer

   Stretch the second ball of dough exactly as you did the first. Drape it over the cheese-covered bottom layer. Working quickly around the edges, pinch the two layers together and tear away the excess dough. The seal must be complete or the cheese will escape. Drizzle the surface generously with olive oil. Using your fingertips, press down in several places to create dimples and ensure the two layers of dough connect through the gaps in the cheese.

7. 7

   Bake until blistered

   Place the pan in the oven immediately. Bake until the top is dramatically blistered and charred in spots, the surface golden where it is not blackened, 6 to 8 minutes. The cheese inside will be completely molten. Watch carefully in the final minutes. The difference between perfect and burnt is measured in seconds at this temperature.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Remove from the oven, sprinkle with flaky salt, and cut into rough squares or wedges with scissors or a sharp knife. Serve within minutes. The cheese begins to solidify as it cools, the crust loses its shatter. This is not a dish that waits for latecomers. Call everyone to the table before you take it from the oven.

Chef Tips

• •Stracchino may be difficult to find. Look in Italian specialty shops or well-stocked cheese counters. Crescenza is the same cheese under a different name. There is no adequate substitute. Do not attempt this with other cheeses.
• •If your oven does not reach 260°C (500°F), use the highest setting available and extend the cooking time slightly. A pizza stone or steel helps achieve the necessary heat on the bottom.
• •The stretching technique takes practice. Your first attempt may tear. Your second will be better. By the third, your hands will know what to do. This is how skills are learned.
• •In Recco, they use a copper pan called a testo. A thin metal pizza pan conducts heat better than heavy cast iron for this application.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated, wrapped tightly. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before stretching.
• •Once assembled, the focaccia must be baked immediately. There is no holding it.
• •Leftovers do not exist. Plan for your guests to eat it all. If by some accident there is leftover, it may be reheated briefly in a hot oven, but it will not be the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)