L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano T he whole world seems to have a pretty good idea a b o u t w h a t a focaccia is. Is a very thick Italian flatbread, r i g h t ? A n d w h a t a b o u t pizza? Easy! It's a thin flat- bread! Well, as a matter of fact, it's not so easy. In Italy, the terms pizza and focaccia are b o t h u s e d t o d e s c r i b e a baked flatbread, which is s t u f f e d o r t o p p e d w i t h a variety of ingredients. Methods, texture and fla- vors vary greatly between r e g i o n s . E v e n t h e d o u g h ingredients differ. Different types of focaccia might be m a d e w i t h r e g u l a r w h e a t flour, semolina or even pota- t o s o m e t i m e m i x e d w i t h c h e e s e , p u r e e p u m p k i n , olives, lard and even pork cracklings. The list is endless and exciting. Try to ask a few Italians what is their favorite focac- cia. Each will tell you that the sort of focaccia or pizza made in their birthplace is the best. In Umbria, pizza comes w i t h c h e e s e a n d t o m a t o , while focaccia has generally n o t o m a t o a n d o f t e n , n o LETIZIA MATTIACCI cheese. We also have pizza dolce, a panettone-shaped sweet bread, traditionally made for Easter. U m b r i a n s a r e f o n d o f schiacciata alla cipolla, a thin focaccia topped with slowly braised onions, sage or rosemary and - if liked - a sprinkle of cheese. Ingredients (serves 3-4 for dinner or 8 as an appe- tizer): For the focaccia dough: 1 g (1/4 teaspoon) active dry yeast 300 ml (1 and 1/3 cup) water at room temperature 500 g (4 cups) all-pur- pose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil For the topping: 2 large onions, halved and sliced 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2-3 leaves fresh sage or a sprig of rosemary 200 g (7 oz) fresh moz- z a r e l l a o r o t h e r y o u n g cheese, diced T h e d o u g h r e c i p e h a s been divided into two steps, which are done on two sub- sequent days: Day 1 Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until the yeast dissolves. In a food p r o c e s s o r , c o m b i n e t h e flour, olive oil and salt. Mix briefly. Add the water and yeast and mix until a soft dough forms. A l t e r n a t i v e l y , m i x t h e i n g r e d i e n t s b y h a n d i n a large bowl, then turn the d o u g h o u t o n t o a l i g h t l y floured surface and knead briefly to bring it together. The dough should be as wet a s p o s s i b l e b u t s t i l l f i r m enough to make in to a soft ball. Add more water if nec- essary. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover first with clingfilm and then with a tea towel. Place in a draft-free place to rise. Day 2 In a shallow pan, slowly soften the sliced onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. About one hour before you plan to serve the focac- cia, coat a pizza pan with 1⁄2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1⁄2 tablespoon of sunflower or other vegetable oil. I use a 35 x 45 cm (13 x 18 inch) rectangular pizza pan. This amount of dough will also be enough for three round 26 cm (10 inch) pans. Using a spatula, transfer the dough into the pan and stretch it with your finger- tips, trying to retain the air b u b b l e s t h a t w i l l h a v e f o r m e d d u r i n g t h e l o n g proofing. Place the pan in a draft-free place, cover with a tea towel and let the dough rest for about half an hour. Preheat the oven to the maximum temperature. The oven must be at the maxi- m u m t e m p e r a t u r e f o r a t least 15 minutes before bak- ing the schiacciata. D i s t r i b u t e t h e c h e e s e , onions and chopped sage or r o s e m a r y l e a v e s o v e r t h e dough. Drizzle with 1 table- spoon of olive oil and season with a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until the focaccia is a deep golden color underneath and around the sides. L e t i z i a M a t t i a c c i i s a cookbook author and owner of Alla Madonna del Piatto C o o k i n g S c h o o l a n d A g r i t u r i s m o i n A s s i s i , U m b r i a , h t t p s : / / i n c a m - pagna.com. This recipe has been previously published in Mrs. Mattiacci cookbook entitled "A Kitchen with a view." Delicious slices of onion and rosemary schiacciata (Photo: Olga Larionova/Shutterstock) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Slow dough onion and rosemary schiacciata

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