Focaccia di Recco (Ligurian — Thin Cheese-Filled Flatbread)

Ingredients

• 300 g soft wheat flour, Italian tipo 00
• 150 ml warm water
• 5 g sea salt
• 2 g instant yeast
• 15 ml extra virgin olive oil, Ligurian DOP
• 200 g creamy stracchino cheese, or crescenza, cold
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil, for finishing
• 8 g Tellicherry black pepper, coarsely cracked
• 8 g coarse sea salt, for topping

Method

1. 1
   Mix flour, warm water, sea salt, and instant yeast until a loose, sticky dough forms; knead by hand for 5 minutes until cohesive.
2. 2
   Oil a 30×20 cm baking sheet generously with 15 ml olive oil; stretch and press dough to fill the sheet completely, working from center outward and using oiled fingertips to avoid sticking.
3. 3
   Tear cold stracchino cheese into small pieces and distribute evenly across the dough, leaving a 2 cm border; season with cracked Tellicherry black pepper.
4. 4
   Rest dough covered with oiled parchment for 15–20 minutes until slightly puffy.
5. 5
   Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) with a pizza stone on the middle rack for 10 minutes.
6. 6
   Transfer focaccia (still on oiled sheet) to the preheated stone; bake for 12–14 minutes until the top is pale golden and cheese is melted.
7. 7
   Remove from oven; immediately drizzle with 60 ml olive oil and scatter coarse sea salt over the surface.
8. 8
   Cool for 5 minutes before cutting into 8 rectangles and serving warm.