Focaccia di Recco

Step 1: Mix 10 ½ oz Italian 00 flour or plain flour, ¾ cup lukewarm water, 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and ½ tsp salt and knead for 8–10 minutes, until very smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Heat the oven to its maximum, ideally 500°F, with a shelf near the top. Oil a 35 cm round pizza tin or large baking tray.

Step 3: Divide the dough in two, one piece slightly larger. Roll the larger piece as thin as you can, then lift it onto the backs of your floured hands and gently stretch it outward until you can almost see through it. Lay it in the tin, letting it hang over the edge.

Step 4: Dot 14 oz stracchino or crescenza in walnut-sized pieces all over, about 3 cm apart.

Step 5: Roll and stretch the second piece the same way and lay it on top. Press the edges together and trim off the excess. Pinch small tears in the top sheet over the cheese with your fingers so steam can escape. Common mistake: leaving the top unbroken; it puffs into a balloon and the cheese does not bubble through.

Step 6: Brush with the rest of 2 ⅜ tsp extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with ½ tsp flaky sea salt.

Step 7: Bake for 8–12 minutes, until the top is blistered with golden-brown spots and the cheese bubbles through the holes.

Step 8: Rest for 1 minute, cut into squares with scissors and eat hot.