Focaccia with Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Tomato
Bring the flavors of Italy to your house with this focaccia topped with beautiful fresh ingredients. It is an Italian snack bursting with flavor and colors reminiscent of the Italian flag . Close yours eyes, take a bite, and see yourself sitting down with a glass of red wine viewing the beautiful scenery of Napoli. Buon Appetito!
- Servings Serves 4
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 500 grams (18 ounces wt) Italian 00 flour
- 5 grams (1 teaspoon) yeast
- 15 grams (1 tablespoon) salt
- 6 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) sugar
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) room temperature water
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) extra-virgin olive oil
For the brushing oil:
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) chopped rosemary leaves
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) chopped thyme leaves
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch crushed black pepper
For the garnishes:
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
- 30 ml (1/8 cup) balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch crushed black pepper
- 30 cherry tomatoes
- 16 slices of prosciutto di Parma
- 16 slices of coppa (or a good salami)
- 16 leaves fresh basil
- 2 balls of mozzarella di bufala
- 473 ml (2 cups) arugula, washed and dried
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Preparation
- For the dough: In a large bowl mix the flour and the yeast, then add the salt and sugar. Slowly mix in the water until all the ingredients are blended. Turn the dough onto a floured countertop and knead for about 8 minutes. Cover and set aside to rise for about 5 hours.
2. When the dough has risen, form it into 4 balls. Put in a container with a plastic wrap on top and refrigerate for 18-20 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the brushing oil.
3. For the brushing oil: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Set aside at room temperature.
4. When ready to finish the focaccia, with your hands stretch the dough to form a long oval and brush with the mixture of herbs and oil.
5. To finish and garnish: The focaccia may be cooked on a pizza stone on a grill or baked in the oven. To cook on a pizza stone, preheat a pizza stone to between 343°C and 427°C (650°F and 800°F), or an oven to 232°C (450°F). Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes.
6. For the garnishes: Mix the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together and set aside. Cut the tomatoes in quarters, mix with a third of the oil mixture, and set aside. Cut the prosciutto slices and coppa (or salami) in half and set aside. Cut up the basil in small pieces, and tear the mozzarella into small pieces.
7. Place each shaped focaccia on a pizza stone or in the oven for a couple of minutes until golden. Remove from the heat and rub with the cut side of a half clove of garlic. Divide the garnishes equally among the focaccia and drizzle each with some of the remaining herbed oil.
Fernando Popolizio
Fernando is the first generation of his Italian family born and raised in Montreal. This 46 year old began to cook at his mother’s side when he was 5 years old. He has dedicated his life to cooking, attending culinary school and becoming a personal chef. No matter who he cooks for his heart is with his Italian roots and his mission is to keep his Italian heritage alive.
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