Authentic Focaccia di Recco Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.5 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.75 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 quarter-sheet baking pan
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cornmeal
• 12 tablespoons crescenza-stracchino cheese, divided
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 0.25 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a large stand mixer, combine flour, both amounts of water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until the dough forms a cohesive ball, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. The dough should be soft, elastic, and slightly tacky.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax.
3. Lightly grease a quarter-sheet baking pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle evenly with cornmeal. Lightly dust your work surface with flour to prevent sticking.
4. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
5. Unwrap the rested dough and divide it into four equal portions. On the floured surface, gently pat each portion into a rough rectangle. Roll one piece of dough to about 3/8 inch thickness, maintaining the rectangular shape, until it measures approximately 6x8 inches. With well-floured hands, carefully pick up the dough and gently stretch it, rotating as you stretch, until it's almost large enough to cover the prepared sheet pan. Pull and stretch the dough so it slightly overlaps the edge of the pan by about 1/2 inch, then secure the edges to the pan. The dough will be thin and membrane-like.
6. Evenly distribute about 6 tablespoons of crescenza-stracchino cheese over the stretched dough, spacing the dollops apart. Roll out another piece of dough as before, stretching it to fit over the first dough sheet and cheese layer. Stretch, pull, and seal the edges of the dough to completely enclose the cheese between the two layers.
7. Using a rolling pin, roll over the edges of the dough to seal the flatbread and trim off any overlapping edges simultaneously. Roll the excess dough away from the pan, allowing the flatbread to settle into the prepared pan. Press the edges firmly to ensure a complete seal. Discard the trimmed dough edges.
8. Pinch a small section of the top dough layer between your thumb and forefinger and gently tear a small hole. Repeat this process 2 or 3 more times to create a few tears in the top layer.
9. Drizzle the flatbread lightly with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt.
10. Bake in the preheated oven until the flatbread develops numerous browned, blistered spots on top, inflates slightly, and the crust becomes crispy, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Repeat the above steps to make a second flatbread using the remaining dough. Drizzle the second flatbread with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt. Bake the second bread as before. Cut each flatbread into quarters and serve warm. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 186 kcal
• Fat Content: 24 g
• Fiber Content: 1 g
• Sugar Content: 0 g
• Sodium Content: 327 mg
• Protein Content: 5 g
• Cholesterol Content: 8 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 24 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 2 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g