Focaccia
is a traditional Italian leavened bread. The main ingredient is extra virgin
olive oil, which make it soft and flavourful. So, if you decide to prepare this
recipe, make sure to use a really good olive oil.
This focaccia
version is two-layered with a filling of pear and Taleggio cheese. This filling
is tasty but delicate at the same time. On the top the focaccia is spread with
coarse salt and rosemary which give to the whole a crispy and aromatic touch.
Perfect as an appetizer or a snack.
Focaccia
with Pears and Cheese
Ingredients
for the dough:
400 gr
of all-purpose flour
25 gr
yeast
3 tbsp
of extra virgin olive oil
250 ml
warm water
1/2 tsp
of salt
1/2 tsp
of sugar
1 ripe
pear
150 gr
of semi-soft and tasty cheese, like Taleggio or Blue Cheese
1 tsp of
coarse salt
1 tsp of
dry rosemary
2 tbsp
of extra virgin olive oil
How to
prepare:
First
prepare the dough. In a cup melt the yeast in 250 ml of warm water. On a
worktop, make a well in the flour and add the melted yeast, the extra virgin
olive oil, the salt and the sugar. Start to knead. If the dough is too dry
little by little add some more warm water and continue to knead. Knead until
the dough is smooth. The consistency should be slightly softer than that of bread
dough. Then put the dough in a bowl previously dusted with some flour, cover
with a wet cloth and set the bowl in a warm and not too dry place. Let the
dough rise for 1 hour.
Peel the
pear, cut it in wedges and clean it from the core. Then cut it into thin
slices. Peel the rind off the cheese and cut it into small dices.
Grease a
worktop with some olive oil. Transfer the focaccia dough from the bowl on the
worktop. With a rolling pin roll out the dough in the shape of a rectangle,
more or less 35cm x 50cm (it should be the double of the size of your baking
tin). Spread half of the focaccia dough with the pears and the cheese. Then
fold it in half, the filling should be between two layers of dough, and lightly
press the surface with your fingertips.
Grease
the tin with a little olive oil and set the focaccia on it. Sprinkle the
focaccia with coarse salt, dry rosemary and the extra virgin olive oil. Then
cover the tin with a wet cloth and let it stand for one hour in a warm place.
Preheat
the oven at 180° C and humidify putting in it an oven dish half full of
water.
Take the
cloth from the focaccia and, again, lightly press the surface with your fingertips.
Put the focaccia in the oven. After 15 mins, take the bowl with water out of
the oven and bake the focaccia for 15 more minutes.
When the
focaccia is backed take it out from the oven and let it cool for 20/30 minutes.
Serve it warm.
More
ideas for the filling:
- dried
tomatoes and cheddar cheese
- ham
and fontina cheese
-
grilled vegetables
- tuna
and oregano
- etc
etc, use your fantasy :-)
