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Cheese Focaccia

Source of Recipe

From "Cook With Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"This is a super-simple focaccia recipe where the pecorino cheese both acts as a salty seasoning and adds great richness. The cheese is added twice—once in the dough before baking (which gives it a tangy note) and once right after (for saltiness and texture on top). The flavor of the olive oil in the bread comes out, too, and plays so nicely with the cheese. I love dunking the focaccia in good grassy olive oil or good balsamic vinegar."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 ½ cups (about 1 pound) bread flour
â—¦ 2 ¾ cups (about 1 pound) semolina flour
â—¦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦ 2 teaspoons sugar
â—¦ 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
â—¦ 2 ½ cups warm water, between 110° and 120° F
â—¦ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed
â—¦ 2 cups finely grated pecorino cheese
â—¦ Balsamic vinegar, for dunking (optional)


Recipe

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the two flours with the salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the warm water and the olive oil, and knead on medium speed until the dough comes together, forms a ball on the hook, and develops a sheen, 12 to 15 minutes. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the center. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside at room temperature to rise until it has tripled in volume, 2 to 3 hours.

Grease a half sheet pan with a little olive oil and press the dough into it as best you can. It will shrink back and only fill about half of the pan. Let it rest for 20 minutes, and then sprinkle 1 cup of the pecorino over the dough and press it in, stretching the dough to cover the whole pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it aside at room temperature until the dough rises nearly to the plastic wrap, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

Remove the plastic wrap from the pan and use your index finger to press rows of dimples into the dough, spacing them a few inches apart. Place the pan in the oven on the center rack and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F and bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about another 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup pecorino over the focaccia. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes in the pan before cutting it into squares. Serve the focaccia with more olive oil or balsamic for dunking if you like. Store leftover focaccia in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes 16 to 20 squares