Stuffed Focaccia with Mortadella, Escarole and Taleggio Cheese

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

You can substitute prosciutto for the mortadella and sliced endive makes a great alternative to the escarole. Use your imagination—you can fill your focaccia with just about anything. Taleggio cheese is very soft and can be difficult to shred. I found that freezing the cheese for 30 minutes can make this task a lot easier. You can also opt for pulling the cheese apart into small pieces with your hands.

Serves 6–8

1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1½ cups warm water (110° F)
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¾ pound zucchini or summer squash, cut in half lengthwise and then again crosswise into ¼-inch half-moons 1 small head escarole, tough outer leaves discarded and the rest cut into 2-inch pieces, about 8 cups
freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces Taleggio cheese, shredded or pulled apart
4 ounces thinly sliced mortadella or prosciutto
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

Stir the yeast, honey and water together in a large bowl. Let it sit for a minute or 2 until creamy and foamy. Add the flour and salt to the water mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a wet, shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into another large bowl. Transfer dough to the oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator or, if you can’t wait, for 3–4 hours at room temperature. The dough should double in size.

While the dough is rising, heat additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the zucchini and escarole for a few minutes so that they release most of their water. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Brush an additional 2 tablespoons olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet. Using a fork or wet hands, gently gather the edges of the dough farthest from you and lift up and over into the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this about 6 more times. Transfer the dough to the oiled baking sheet and, using wet hands, press the dough out to fill the pan. (You may need to let the dough rest a couple of times as it stretches before you get it all the way to the edge. Persevere.)

Layer the mortadella on 1 half of the dough, leaving a ¾-inch border on the 3 outer edges. Top the mortadella with the vegetables and cheese. Lift the unfilled portion of the dough up and drape it over the filling. Use your fingers to seal the edges. Use your fingertips to push down to form dimples and wells all over the dough.

Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary. Make a couple of incisions in the dough to allow steam to escape. Let rise, uncovered, for 45 minutes and preheat oven to 425°F.

Bake the focaccia for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Remove focaccia from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Store, well-wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days, but serve it at room temperature.

Picnic Tips: Once the focaccia has cooled completely, cut into 2-inch squares. Place them in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Serve directly from the container or transfer to a platter, cutting board or on a cloth napkin. The focaccia doesn’t need to be kept in the cooler during transport.

This recipe appeared in the Summer 2020 issue as part of a larger story on Italian-style picnics.