Successful cooking requires balance. This focaccia recipe is a good example of how pairing contrasting flavors results in a balanced dish. The bitterness of the radicchio is just the right amount to counter the richness of the smoky scamorza. Rosemary works as the bridge that brings the two flavors together.
Radicchio and Scamorza Focaccia
Serve as an appetizer, cut into 2-inch strips, or cut into larger pieces and serve as a light lunch with a salad or soup. Focaccia is more about the “bread” than it is about the toppings. Don’t worry about toppings not blanketing the dough.
2 cups very warm tap water
1 package dry active yeast
1 tsp. sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
4 Tbsp. olive oil (additional drizzle here and there)
3 cups finely sliced radicchio
2 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 cups grated scramorza (smoked mozzarella) cheese
1. Fill standing mixer bowl with water; sprinkle yeast and sugar, stir to dissolve, and allow to sit for two minutes.
2. Add flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil to mixer bowl and mix with hook attachment until dough is thoroughly worked, about 5 minutes. If dough is too sticky, add additional flour, one tablespoon at a time. Dough should be tacky rather than sticky. Remove hook and cover bowl with saran wrap and cover with a dish towel. Allow dough to rise at room temperature until double in size, about 2 hours.
3. Drizzle olive oil on a cookie sheet and spread with a pastry brush so that the bottom and sides of pan are coated. Remove dough from mixing bowl and hand stretch dough so that it fits the pan. (Even if it doesn’t reach all sides of the pan, as it rises a second time, revisit the dough and stretch so that it covers all corners.) Cover with dish towel and allow to rise, about another hour.
4. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet and place skillet over medium-high heat. Add radicchio and rosemary to pan and saute quickly to wilt the radicchio, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and red pepper flakes; set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 400°. After the second rise, create small wells in dough by pressing down on dough with fingers. Brush dough with additional olive oil and evenly scatter radicchio mixture on top. Evenly sprinkle cheese on top of radicchio and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Slice and serve immediately or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
Yah!! The print icon is there! And I like this recipe. This is a great way to use radicchio to balance off its bitterness. I’ve not seen scramorza. Is that a specific kind of smoked moz?