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Vegetarian, Italy

Focaccia di Recco with cheese and a side salad

Focaccia di Recco with cheese is a Ligurian specialty, serving 4, ready in 50 minutes, medium difficulty, for €2.30 per person. Two sheets of dough are stretched paper thin and sealed around fresh cheese that melts as it bakes. The key to success is stretching the dough until it's almost see through, so you get that contrast between crisp crust and oozing center.

Focaccia di Recco, from Liguria, is two very thin sheets of dough wrapped around melting fresh cheese.

Focaccia di Recco with cheese and a side salad
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.30
Calories per person
690 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Under a thin golden crust, the cheese oozes out from the very first slice. That contrast is what makes focaccia di Recco so good, a nearly transparent dough baked at high heat until it crackles, wrapped around a molten core of stracchino that keeps stretching as you cut it. There's no yeast here, no long rise, just flour, water, oil, and cheese.

This is a recipe for an evening when you have a bit of time to stretch the dough, or a Sunday with kids who love watching the cheese melt through the little holes. It works just as well as a main course with a green salad as it does as a shared starter, and it always surprises people who only know the thick, pillowy kind of focaccia.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 350 g
  • Wateroften in the pantry 18 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 tsp

Dairy

  • Stracchino or fresh cheese like Saint-Môret 350 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Green salad 1

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the flour, water, 2 tablespoons of oil and the salt, knead for 5 minutes and let rest under a towel. 20 min

    The dough should feel soft and supple, it will stretch more easily after resting.

  2. Divide the dough in two, roll out the first piece as thin as possible on an oiled dish. 5 min

    Finish by hand, like stretching strudel dough, until you can see through it.

  3. Place the cheese in small dabs over the dough. 2 min

    Leave a little space between the dabs, the cheese spreads as it bakes.

  4. Stretch the second piece of dough, cover, seal the edges, trim the excess and poke a few holes. 5 min

    The holes let steam escape and create nice little bubbles.

  5. Brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and bake at 250°C. Serve with the salad. 12 min

    Watch it closely, it goes from golden to brown very quickly.

Our tips to get it right

  • Work on a floured surface and lift the dough often to check it isn't sticking, otherwise it will tear as you stretch it.
  • Use a shallow dish or baking sheet, focaccia di Recco bakes better spread out wide than folded onto itself.
  • Preheat the oven fully before baking, the cooking time is short and hot, that's what gives the dish its characteristic brown spots.

The variations

  • If you can't find stracchino, swap it for a soft fresh cheese like Saint-Môret or a mix of ricotta and thick heavy cream.
  • For an easier version with kids, stretch a single thicker sheet of dough topped with cheese like a flatbread, less traditional but much quicker to pull off.
  • Add a few arugula leaves or a drizzle of lemon flavored olive oil on the hot focaccia for a different flavor.

What to serve it with

  • Well dressed green salad
  • Cherry tomatoes in olive oil
  • Sparkling water with lemon

Storage

Focaccia di Recco is best eaten straight out of the oven, the cheese starts to firm up as it cools. You can keep it for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container and reheat it in a hot oven for a few minutes to bring back the crunch. It doesn't freeze well, the fresh cheese loses its texture.

Questions about this dish

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

You can make the dough up to 2 hours ahead and let it rest under a damp towel at room temperature. It will actually be easier to stretch after that rest.

How do I know if the dough is thin enough?

You should be able to see your hand through it when you hold it up to the light. That thinness lets the cheese cook quickly while the dough stays crisp.

Can I use a different cheese instead of stracchino?

Yes, a fresh soft cheese like Saint-Môret or crescenza works very well. Avoid firmer cheeses, they won't melt the same way.

Can kids help make this recipe?

Yes, they love placing the little dabs of cheese on the dough and poking the small holes before baking. Stretching the dough takes a bit more patience and a gentler hand.

How long does it take to make a focaccia di Recco with cheese and a side salad?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a focaccia di Recco with cheese and a side salad?

About 690 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a focaccia di Recco with cheese and a side salad cost?

About €2.30 per serving, or €9.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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