Stracchino Stuffed Focaccia


Stracchino is a fresh, cow’s milk cheese with a washed rind and a soft center that is common to Lombardy in northern Italy. It has a very mild flavor that is just slightly acidic. Stracchino is used both as a dessert cheese as well as a filling for focaccia and piadina.

When we lived in Milan we had a small Genovese bakery close to our house that made a delicious stracchino stuffed focaccia, or “focaccia col formaggio”. If you cannot find stracchino, any other creamy soft cheese can be used in it’s place. Traditionally the dough for this focaccia would be made simply with flour, water and a little oil although I personally prefer a yeast dough which makes the completed focaccia a little more tender.

Easiest Way To Slice This Focaccia Is With A Pizza Knife

Close Up Of Focaccia Wedges

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Stracchino Stuffed Focaccia

Stracchino Stuffed Focaccia

Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Stracchino is a fresh, cow's milk cheese with a washed rind and a soft center that is common to Lombardy in northern Italy.

Ingredients

For Dough:

  • 1 1/2 Cups Warm Water (About 110 Degrees F)
  • 2 Teaspoons Instant Yeast
  • 4 Cups All-purpose Flour
  • 1 Teaspoons Salt
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Focaccia:

  • 12 Ounces Stracchino Cheese (Or Other Creamy Cheese)
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Coarse Sea Salt

Instructions

  1. Create a mound of 3 1/2 cups of the flour on a counter top creating a well in the center.
  2. Add 3 tablespoons of oil, yeast, warm water, and salt into the well.
  3. Work the mixture into a dough and knead it until it is soft, smooth, and elastic, using additional flour if dough is too sticky.
  4. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, and let rise for an hour, or until doubled in size.
  5. Preheat your oven to 425 F.
  6. Divide dough into two pieces and roll each out into very thin disks the size of your baking sheet.
  7. Lightly oil the pan and lay the first sheet of dough over it.
  8. Cut up the cheese into small pieces and sprinkle it over the dough.
  9. Lay the second layer of dough over the first, roll the edges up and around to form a rim that seals the cheese inside.
  10. Brush the top with the remaining oil, and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
  11. Puncture the top here and there the moisture can escape as the focaccia cooks, and bake it for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it's golden brown.
  12. Allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes, and slice into wedges with a pizza cutter.
  13. Serve warm.

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