Ham and Smoked Scamorza Stuffed Focaccias

I can describe how to prepare delicious ham and smoked scamorza stuffed focaccias. Here are the ingredients and the procedure.

Ingredients

• 500 g of type “00” flour
• 300 ml of lukewarm water
• 12 g of fresh yeast or 4 g of dry yeast
• 10 g of salt
• 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 200 g of cooked ham
• 200 g of smoked scamorza cheese
• Fresh rosemary (optional)
• Coarse salt (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm water.
2. In a bowl, pour the flour and make a well in the center where you will add the water with the dissolved yeast.
3. Begin to knead, gradually adding the oil and salt.
4. Knead until you obtain a smooth and elastic dough, then cover it with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it doubles in volume.
5. Meanwhile, cut the smoked scamorza into cubes and the cooked ham into strips.
6. Once the dough has risen, divide it into pieces of about 100 g each.
7. Roll out each piece into disks of about 15 cm in diameter, place some ham and scamorza in the center, then close the focaccia by pinching the edges well to seal it.
8. Arrange the focaccias on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover them with a cloth and let them rise again for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
10. Before baking, you can brush the surface of the focaccias with a little water and sprinkle them with chopped fresh rosemary and coarse salt, if you like.
11. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown and well puffed.
12. Remove the focaccias from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before serving.

Curiosity

Stuffed focaccias are a very popular street food in Italy, especially in the South. They have the advantage of being able to be stuffed with an infinite variety of ingredients, allowing one to play with flavors according to personal tastes or the seasonality of the ingredients.

Remember that you could further customize your focaccia by adding grilled vegetables, olives, capers, or whatever you prefer to the ingredients, always respecting your taste and the Italian tradition of abundant and flavorful recipes.