Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Focaccia di Recco (Cheese Focaccia)
Unlike traditional fluffy focaccia, this Ligurian specialty consists of two paper-thin, unleavened sheets of dough sandwiching a layer of molten, tangy Stracchino cheese.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 52 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 6 servings
- '00' flour or Manitoba flour (high protein)
- water
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- stracchino or crescenza cheese (must be very fresh and soft)
Equipment
- Large round copper or aluminum baking pan
- Rolling pin
Instructions
- 1
Make the Dough
Mix flour, water, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes until you have a very smooth, highly elastic dough. (There is NO yeast).
- 2
Rest
Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 1-2 hours. This relaxes the gluten, which is essential for stretching.
- 3
Divide
Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other.
- 4
Stretch the Bottom
Take the larger piece. Roll it, then use the back of your hands to stretch it until it is paper-thin and almost translucent (like strudel dough). Lay it over an oiled baking pan, letting the edges hang over.
- 5
Add Cheese
Drop walnut-sized dollops of Stracchino cheese evenly across the entire surface of the bottom dough.
- 6
Stretch the Top
Stretch the second piece of dough just as thinly. Carefully lay it over the cheese layer.
- 7
Seal and Trim
Roll a rolling pin over the edges of the pan to simultaneously seal the two dough layers and cut off the excess overhang.
- 8
Create Vents
Crucial step: pinch small holes (about 1 inch wide) randomly in the top layer of dough. This prevents it from ballooning up in the oven.
- 9
Season
Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- 10
Bake
Bake in a blazing hot oven (500°F/260°C) for 8-12 minutes until the dough is blistered, crispy, and the cheese is bubbling through the vents. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- The dough must be stretched incredibly thin; if it is thick, it will be doughy and heavy rather than crisp and delicate.
- Stracchino (or Crescenza) is mandatory; it is a very soft, tangy cow's milk cheese that melts beautifully. Mozzarella will not yield the correct result.
Variations
- With Pesto: Sometimes a few dollops of Ligurian basil pesto are added alongside the cheese.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- A protected geographical indication (IGP) dish, fiercely guarded by the bakers of Recco.
Nutrition Estimate
410 calories · 12g protein · 38g carbs · 24g fat · 1g fiber per serving
