Let’s go to Liguria and prepare Recco focaccia

Focaccia di Recco is a Ligurian delicacy made up of two thin crunchy layers and a filling of melted cheese.

If you've never tasted focaccia di Recco, you don't know what you've missed: in its simplicity it's a real delicacy that makes your mouth water just looking at it! For this preparation you will only need a wooden work surface, a rolling pin and a 60 cm baking tray . The original recipe calls for prescinsêua for the filling but places that use it are now rare. Let's see all the steps to make this delight.

How to make Recco focaccia

1. On a work surface, ideally wooden, mix flour, water, olive oil and salt. You must obtain a homogeneous and smooth dough . Place covered in a cool area and let rest for at least 40 minutes.
2. Once the resting time has passed, take half the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin and then, when it is very thin, directly with your hands. The objective is to obtain a round disk with a thickness of approximately 1 mm , uniform.
3. Take a large baking tray, at least 50 cm in diameter, grease it with oil and place the first circular pastry on the bottom. If you don't have such a large pan, you can also divide the dough into 4 loaves and use a 30 cm diameter pan to make 2 focaccias instead of 1.
4. Break the cheese into pieces and distribute it over the entire surface of the dough.
5. Preheat the oven. Ideally it should be at 320°C , but not all ovens reach this temperature, so you can settle for 250°C. In any case, a fan oven is better, as it increases the heat.
6. Repeat the operation with the second half of dough. Place the second sheet on top of the cheese, closing the edges tightly with your fingers to prevent the cheese from coming out. Remove excess paste.
7. Poke holes in the top with your fingers , then pour in olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Bake for 5-10 minutes , until the surface is golden. The focaccia must cook more underneath, to compensate for the pan, so only the lower heating should be activated or it should be placed on the lowest shelf of the oven.

And here is a video recipe very similar to our preparation:

Recco focaccia can also be prepared with the Thermomix or opt for faster cooking with the air fryer .

Conservation

We recommend consuming the cheese focaccia at the moment , alternatively you can keep it in the fridge for 1-2 days , in a special container with a lid and heat it up a few minutes before eating it.

Focaccia di Recco: the history of the product

Focaccia, originally prepared in the restaurants and bakeries of Recco and the surrounding municipalities, quickly gained popularity throughout Liguria and even outside the region , often with small variations in the type of cheeses used. The increased diffusion has pushed restaurateurs in the area to protect the product from possible inferior quality imitations. In 1997 , the brand “Authentic focaccia with Recco cheese” was registered by the Recco Gastronomica Consortium, followed by the “Consorzio focaccia with Recco cheese” brand, requesting Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) protection.

Since 2011 , Recco's focaccia with cheese has obtained the PGI mark. This certification was extended to a European level in 2015. As a result, similar products sold outside the areas of Recco, Sori, Camogli and Avegno can no longer legally use names referring to “Recco”, as often happened before obtaining the PGI (for example, “focaccia type Recco” ).

The first written trace of focaccia with cheese can be found in Cato's Re rustica . In more recent times, however, it is referred to as " semolina focaccia filled with freshly set rush ". We are in 1189 and the Ligurian crusaders were preparing to leave for the Holy Land at the abbey of San Fruttuoso.

History but also legend : it seems in fact that the actual recipe for focaccia di Recco was born in the hinterland of Liguria where the population took refuge to escape the invasions of the Saracens. Having only oil, flour and cheese at their disposal, they mixed the ingredients and then cooked them on a slate stone, creating a focaccia filled with cheese.

Originally it was prepared with a typical cheese from the area, prescinseua . Loco is also difficult to find, also due to its poor shelf life, and was soon replaced by stracchino.