Focaccia with olives and mozzarella (Ligurian Focaccia)

Today we are going to prepare a very traditional focaccia because, apart from a dough in the purest Italian style, we will add mozzarella and give it the touch of the Liguria area thanks to the seductive aroma of taggiaca olives . And we will also add romesco, spices can never be missing.

Taggiaca olives (or taggiasche) owe their name to the village of Taggia, near Sanremo. This area is traditionally cultivated with expanses of olive trees, so typical of Pontente Ligure (in the province of Imperia), which were originally brought by Benedictine monks. Thus, the Taggiaca olive owes its name to the village of Taggia, near Sanremo, and is characterised by its chemical and organoleptic refinement... and certainly by its flavour!

To give you an idea of ​​what these olives taste like, you should know that they are the source of the typical light and fruity Italian oil , with low acidity and a sweet and unique flavour.

Today, we will enjoy all that flavour thanks to this aromatic focaccia dressed with onion and mozzarella cheese . This recipe is an ideal accompaniment to any meal, or a dinner that, just by accompanying it with a good wine, you will enjoy to the fullest.

Ingredients

For the focaccia dough

• 400 g of baker's flour (you can also use 250 g of strong flour + 150 g of normal wheat flour)
• 1 sachet of baker's yeast (6 g), or 18 g of fresh yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 75 ml of olive oil for the dough + 50 ml for brushing
• 230 ml water (at room temperature)

To season Ligurian focaccia

• 1 red onion
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 150 g Scamorza or mozzarella cheese
• 100 g Taggiasca olives in oil (pitted)
• 1 tsp coarse salt (+150 ml water to dissolve)

FusionTec Iron Tray

Preparation of focaccia

We prepare the dough:

1. Heat the 230 ml of water slightly in a glass in the microwave for a few seconds so that it warms up a bit but is not too hot. Pour in the yeast and mix to start activating it.
2. In a bowl, add the flour, salt and sugar. Add the 75 ml of olive oil and the water with the yeast.
3. Mix with the mixer until you obtain a uniform dough, using the dough hook. Once everything is integrated, the best way to knead the dough correctly and easily is to alternate 3 minutes of kneading and 10-12 minutes of resting. Continue doing this several times, as needed, until you obtain a smooth and soft dough. Keep covering it with a cloth so that it does not dry out.
4. When the dough looks smooth and worked, cover it with a cloth and let it rise for 2 hours (in a warm, draft-free environment), until it doubles in volume.
5. Once the dough has doubled in volume, release the gas with your knuckles and transfer it to a rectangular tray previously brushed with oil (we used the WMF FusionTec 3-in-1 tray , you can use another ceramic one, such as the one from Laura Ashley). Let it rest under a cloth for 20 more minutes, to rise and relax again.

We prepare the seasoning and finish the foaccacia:

1. Peel the onion and cut it into thin rings. Separate the rosemary leaves from the stems and finely grate the scamorza or mozzarella.
2. Make small marks (small indentations) in the dough with your index finger, scattered throughout the dough, and brush the entire surface with oil.
3. Cover the dough with the onion rings, rosemary, olives and scamorza (mozzarella). Let it rest for another 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven (220°C with top and bottom heat, 200°C with fan).
5. Optional: dissolve the coarse salt in 150 ml of water and brush the focaccia with the brine obtained.
6. Add the rest of the olives, scattered all over the focaccia.
7. Bake the focaccia in the lowest position of the oven for 10–15 minutes (since it's a cast iron tray, you'll notice that it bakes very quickly). When it looks golden, remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
8. Finally, cut it into pieces and serve it hot (although at room temperature, after a few hours, it is still delicious).

Grades:

• After rising, you can roll out the dough and stuff it into a baking sheet. By doing this, you can put the empty tray into the oven when you turn it on to preheat, and you can transfer the dough to the tray very easily by just pulling the paper towards the tray (if you do this, the baking is very fast as the tray is hot).
• The Fusiontec iron tray is perfect for roasting meat and fish... but also for this type of dough, as well as pizzas, shortcrust pastries and breads. Iron gets very hot and roasts perfectly, in a very traditional way.
• You can add a splash of pizza oil on top if you want, it gives it an ideal spicy touch.
• If you don't have Taggiasca olives, use the ones you like, whether black or green.
• If you haven't brushed the focaccia with the brine of salt and water, apply flaky salt at the end of baking - that salty touch is a must for focaccias!