Oh Focaccia! A simple and delicious food.
If you think this word sounds good, it’s because behind the word “focaccia” there’s a wonderful world. It always smells like bread but there are many recipes and even more fillings.
Have you ever prepared an Italian focaccia?
My Summer Focaccia
This recipe is dedicated to the summer season. Or better still, it’s a true symphony of summer tastes and colors. It’s also a declaration of love for my country which people call Il Bel Paese, literally ‘the beautiful country’. And if you ever visited Italy, you know what people mean.
Just genuine ingredients to dress this focaccia that you have to try.
Ripe tomatoes, super fresh burrata cheese from Puglia (at the very bottom of the post I’m talking about burrata and mozzarella) and basil leaves.
I’m sure , this recipe will became one of your favorite for this Summer and next.
The colors of the recipe refers to the Italian Flag: green basil, white burrata and red tomato. The all ingredients all are typical of the summer season. Tomato and basil have the intense aroma of hot sunny days. Creamy and fresh burrata to draw out a soft sigh.
Focaccia Recipe
The dough is a thin layer of soft olive oil focaccia. I mean, a great classic.
For this recipe, I prefer a rectangular shape because it’s easier to cut it in little squares. And I suggest to cut in this way especially if you are expecting many guests and you’re thinking of serving it as an aperitivo or antipasto (starter).
Or if you’re setting up a buffet table.
The Good Tastes of The Bel Paese
Sun and Summer call for quick, light, and easy recipes.
For my last aperitivo in giardino (garden aperitif), I opted for a vegetarian focaccia and fresh, in season ingredients.
I could say that it’s really good and elegant. But above all if you love the Bel Paese and you’re planning to visit it, you could start to taste a bit of authentic Italian flavors.
From the mix of these tastes, without forgetting a bit of olive oil (but-it-must-be-the-best-Italian-olive-oil-please), a magic is produced.
I think that is what we hope to achieve every time we cook with love.
Buona cucina.
xo, Monica
If you’re Instagramers and you’ll make this or another one of MY recipes, tag #tortelliniandco to be featured.
Food Tips
You can make your focaccia dough at home or buy it and then just dressed it.
Recipe
Ingredients
rectangular baking sheet, 30x40cm
for many squares
Flour 00, 350 g
Manitoba Flour, 150 g
dry brewer’s yeast, 7g
olive oil, 3 generous spoons + one to brush the focaccia
water, about 300 ml
salt, 6 g
3-4 ripe tomatoes
burrata, 60 g
a handful of basil leaves
olive oil and salt to taste
Method
Clean and slice tomatoes. Season with oil and salt and set aside.
And now, the focaccia! On a clean surface, or in a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except the salt.
Add the oil and water, half immediately and half gradually.
Knead for a few minutes, add the salt and knead for another ten minutes.
Leave the dough covered, away from draughts, for at least 3 hours.
Roll out the focaccia in a baking sheet greased with oil.
Let it rest for about 30 minutes. Brush the surface with oil and water.
Bake in a preheated oven (200°C) for about 25 minutes.
When you bake, lower the temperature to 180 degrees.
Let it cool down before adding the other ingredients.
Garnish the surface of the focaccia with slices of tomato, then add a teaspoon of burrata filling and a leaf of basil to each slice.
Buona focaccia!
What’s the difference between mozzarella and burrata?
Translated from Italian, burrata literally means buttery.
Fresh mozzarella and burrata are two types of semi-soft Italian cheese made from cow or water buffalo milk. Fresh mozzarella is a type of pulled curd or pasta filata cheese which originated in Southern Italy. Burrata is a ball of fresh Italian mozzarella cheese filled with cream. Read more about burrata cheese: HERE.
