River café focaccia col formaggio
This recipe originates from the village of Recco in Liguria. Now, you will also find that focaccia col formaggio is made in many of the restaurants and bakeries all along the coast, from Genoa to La Spezia. Served hot, this crispy olive-oil-flavoured focaccia, with the melted, slightly sour cheese, Stracchino, and the flavours of the wood oven, is something not to be missed.
Ingredients
- 400 g Plain strong bread flour
- 1 Scattering of sea salt
- 1 Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (Ligurian is ideal)
- 500 g Stracchino cheese
- 14.1 oz Plain strong bread flour
- 1 Scattering of sea salt
- 1 Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (Ligurian is ideal)
- 17.6 oz Stracchino cheese
- 14.1 oz Plain strong bread flour
- 1 Scattering of sea salt
- 1 Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (Ligurian is ideal)
- 17.6 oz Stracchino cheese
Details
- Cuisine: Italian
- Recipe Type: Starter
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 5 mins
- Cooking Time: 25 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Place a large mixing bowl in a warm place and sieve the flour into it. Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Stir in 200ml of warm water with a wooden spoon and mix together until you have a sticky dough, then cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Tip the dough on to a generously floured work surface. Coat your hands with flour and knead it for several minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Divide the dough into two, place in separate bowls, cover both with Clingfilm and leave for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 225°C. Flour the surface again and roll out the first ball as thinly as possible into a 40cm diameter disc. Lightly oil a flat baking tray or pizza pan and lay the dough down on it carefully.
- Grate or thinly slice the Stracchino over so that it covers the surface of the dough to within 1cm of the edge. Scatter with sea salt.
- Roll out the second ball of dough to the same size. Place it on top of the first one to cover the cheese, and press it down lightly at the edges.
- Drizzle the surface with olive oil, scatter with sea salt and place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the crust is light brown.
- Cut into wedges while still warm.
Taken from The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook
Published by Penguin
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