Focaccia di Recco is a quick, no-yeast, cheesy bread made from thin, flaky sheets of dough stuffed with creamy cheese and baked until golden and crispy. All you need is bread flour, olive oil, salt, water, and stracchino cheese. Let’s get started!
I’d heard of the lesser-known focaccia di Recco for many years, but it wasn’t until a few months ago that I tried it for the first time. I walked into our local pizza shop, Si Cara, and immediately knew I had to order it. Out came a paper-thin, crispy, crackery concoction with bits of rosemary and taleggio oozing through the top.
A few days later, I dove into the research to see if I could re-create it. The good news? It’s easy to make, even at home. Unlike other types of focaccia, focaccia di Recco can be prepped and baked in under 2 hours and is just as rewarding.
👩🏽🍳 Recipe Lowdown
key details before we dive into the cooking!
- Focaccia di Recco is a traditional 5-ingredient Italian cheesy bread baked in an extra-hot oven; some sources trace this dish back almost a thousand years.
- Dollops of soft stracchino cheese are layered between cracker-thin sheets of dough and baked until melty and gooey. It’s creamy, salty, carb-y, and delicious.
- The recipe includes instructions for using a pizza pan or a small baking sheet; no special equipment needed!
Serve it with a bright salad, like my radicchio gorgonzola salad or a simple lemony arugula salad and an ice-cold glass of beer!
Why You’ll Love It
- I researched several sources to come up with a traditional ingredient ratio and an easy, accessible method for you to make this in your home oven with success.
- My version uses less cheese for a delicious texture that doesn’t feel too heavy. I’ve included instructions for adjusting if you’d like to try the extra-cheesy variation!
- A 15-minute rest period allows the dough to come together with minimal kneading.
For more details on testing, see my ‘testing notes‘ section.
Ingredient Notes
Olive Oil: Use a good, standard olive oil for the dough, but don’t feel like you need to use your fanciest bottle!
Stracchino Cheese: Stracchino (also known as Crescenza) is a creamy cheese with a mild flavor and a slight tang; texture-wise, it’s kind of like brie. You can purchase it at Eataly or other specialty Italian stores (I like Nonno Nanni brand), but if you can’t find it, try a 50/50 mix of Taleggio and the inside of a wheel of brie. Though Taleggio has a stronger, funkier flavor, it’ll still be delicious.
Focaccia di Recco traditionally uses a 2:1 ratio of cheese, but I use closer to a 1:1 ratio for a lighter result. Want it extra cheesy? Use 14 ounces stracchino!
For a full list of ingredients and their quantities, please refer to the recipe card.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1 – In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour, and pour in the olive oil and water (Image 1). Whisk together with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Continue mixing until no dry bits remain (Image 2). Cover and let sit for 15 minutes to hydrate the dough.
TIP: A 15-minute rest kickstarts the gluten formation and minimizes the amount of kneading. Less work for you!
Step 2 – On a lightly dusted surface, knead the dough for a couple of minutes into a smooth ball. If the dough feels quite sticky, you can add up to a tablespoon of additional flour, but don’t go overboard here! Divide the dough into two pieces, and cover for 1 – 2 hours to allow the dough to rest (Image 3).
The rest period is necessary here as it provides the dough time to relax; otherwise, it will spring back if you try to roll it!
Step 3 – On a lightly dusted work surface, roll out half the dough to the dimensions of your pan. If your pan is a 15-inch pizza pan, you’ll want to roll it to a 15-inch diameter; if it’s a quarter-sheet pan, roll to 13-inches by 19-inches. Either way, the dough should be quite thin, almost translucent. Lay the sheet over the greased pan, stretching to fit the edges if needed (Image 4).
Step 4 – Dollop the cheese in small pieces and garnish with rosemary (if using). Roll out the other half and place on top, crimping the edges. If you have any If possible, try to flatten the edges with your fingers so that the dough is the same thickness throughout (Image 6).
Using scissors, poke several holes across the top, each about the size of a small coin, to allow steam to escape. Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheated oven, ideally 525°F / 274°C but 500°F will work too.
When the cheese is melty and the top is golden brown, remove from the oven and let rest a minute or two before slicing into squares. Serve immediately!
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Focaccia di Recco
Equipment
- 1 Metal Pizza Pan, 14-inches to 16-inch rounds will all work; or 1 (9-inch by 13-inch quarter sheet baking sheet)
Ingredients
- 260 g bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt, if using any other type of salt, use only 1 teaspoon
- 158 g water
- 25 g extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
- 9 ounces stracchino cheese, or 7 ounces stracchino and 2 ounces taleggio, see notes
- 2 ounces taleggio, optional, see notes
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves, optional
Instructions
- Mix dough: In a large bowl, combine 260 g bread flour and 2 teaspoons Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt. Make a well in the center of the flour, and add 158 g water and 25 g extra-virgin olive oil. Slowly begin incorporating some of the flour into the water with a fork, then knead with your hands for 1 – 2 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. Continue mixing until no dry bits remain (dough will be sticky). Autolyse: Cover dough for 15 minutes to allow the dough to hydrate. Then, dust a wooden surface with flour, and knead dough until smooth, about 2 – 4 minutes. Divide into two equal pieces and let rest for 1 hour. Note: If the dough feels sticky, you can knead in up to 1 tablespoon extra flour. Don't worry about this too much though; as long as it's well-dusted when rolling, you'll be fine.
- Preheat oven: 30 minutes before the dough is done resting, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 525℉ (or your oven’s highest setting up to 525℉).
- Roll: On a floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough to the same diameter as your pan (if using a 13-inch by 9-inch pan, make a 13-inch by 9-inch rectangle). If the dough springs back, let it rest for 30 seconds or so, then continue rolling.The dough should be very thin, almost translucent. If it still feels slightly thick, continue rolling until almost translucent. Don't worry if it's too large for the pan, you'll cut off the excess. Note: The high amount of oil and high-protein bread flour makes this dough much more stretchy than other doughs, so it's less prone to ripping. That said, I recommend dusting the surface with flour and flipping the dough every now and then to prevent sticking.
- Top: Gently stretch and lay the dough over the pan. Top the dough with 9 ounces stracchino cheese (and the optional 2 ounces taleggio) and 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves (if using).
- Seal: Roll out the other piece of dough to the same size and stretch over the top of the pan. Trim any excess overhang, then press and seal the two layers of dough together. Make sure the dough is snug against the cheese with no large air pockets.Note: For best results, press the two pieces of dough together to flatten the edge so it's the same thickness as the middle. Using scissors, poke several holes across the top, each about a quarter, to allow steam to escape.
- Bake: Brush the top with 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, then bake in the oven for 6 – 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool for a minute or two before slicing and serving. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Testing Notes
- I researched several sources (Manuelina, Italy Segreta, Residence Liguria, Lidia’s Italy, Serious Eats, and the official Focaccia di Recco Consortium) to establish ingredient ratios and common methods.
- Most recipes called for a 50% – 60% flour hydration; I went on the higher side. Most used a high quantity of oil and a high-protein bread flour allow the dough to easily stretch.
- I opted against adding sugar as I found the bread browned nicely, even without a baking stone or steel.
- The amount of cheese varied considerably among recipes, with the traditional amount at a 2:1 ratio of cheese to flour and Serious Eats at a 4:5 ratio. I went with 100% for the base recipe, as my guests preferred a lighter bread, but feel free to go up to 200% if you like!
