Italy Cooking Courses » focaccia

Pizza, Focaccia and Bread cooking classes

Stile Mediterraneo — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:38:52 +0000

Stile Mediterraneo Cooking School Puglia celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2010!

Because of such an important event, we are hosting special PIZZA, FOCACCIA and BREAD cooking classes at our cooking school in Puglia.

On these days, cooking classes will focus on the preparation of traditional Italian pizza, bread and focaccia from Puglia.

Classes will be at a very special price! Contact us at info.stile@gmail.com to book a place.

Dates:

June 19, 2010

July 9, 2010

September 19, 2010.

Hope you will join us!

If you are interested in our Pasta days click here!

Home made Focaccia bread

Stile Mediterraneo — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:21:00 +0000

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In summer time every occasion is good to make a focaccia. It’s such an easy and delicious dish: you can prepare it for a last minute dinner or for a picnic on the beach. Also it is fantastic when it is warm as well as when it gets cold.

In Puglia (mainly in Lecce) a focaccia is usually a double-crusted savory pie, stuffed inside.

In the Bari area “focaccia” is more like what’s called focaccia in the rest of Italy. It’s just one layer of dough but very soft and thick. You may be tempted to add some mozzarella on top….but that’s not the authentic way!

You can only put green olives, cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and oregano!

The beauty of this focaccia is that it is so soft!

Please let us know if you need the recipe.

Traditional focaccia

Stile Mediterraneo — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:17:10 +0000

I and Marika are so excited to leave for one of our cooking tours. It will be lots of fun!
Before leaving, we would like to share with you one of our favorite recipes. It is similar to the local Focaccia from Lecce (but the size is much smaller). It can also remind you of some small Italian Panini.

We call it “The Roses Cake” (la torta di rose) because it reminds us of many little roses.

Ingredients for 5 people:
-250 grams flour
-1 yeast
-½ tsp sugar
-1 tsp salt
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-200 grams of fresh pecorino cheese
-5 tomatoes
-3 basil leaves
-Pinch of oregano
-1 tbsp capers
-3 anchovies

For the dough: melt in a cup the yeast with some warm water and the sugar. Pour the water with the yeast in a bowl with the flour and salt. Knead with your hands and let it rise for about 1 hour. Then, knead again the dough on a wooden board and cut it in small pieces, of 50 grams each.
For the inside: cut the tomatoes, cheese, basil leaves and anchovies in small pieces and dress in a bowl with oregano, olive oil and capers.
Roll out each piece of dough and place a spoon of tomatoes and cheese in the middle.

Fold the dough and close it very well.
Prepare a baking pan with some olive oil. Place each piece of dough one next to the other and let them rise for other 30 minutes.

Bake in the oven at 180° C for 35 minutes (350F).
Let us know if you make this recipe. It’s perfect to be used on the table instead of the regular bread.

Healthy spinach Focaccia for the Pasquetta Day

Stile Mediterraneo — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:32:00 +0000

The “Pasquetta” Day is one the most exciting holiday in Southern Italy. Pasquetta is the day after Easter and literally means the “little Easter”.

All friends and families get together for a whole day outdoor. The tradition wants that one person offers his or her house at the beach or in the countryside; all friends bring something to eat and to drink to be shared with the others.

All friends of friends are welcome and so you can have about 200-300 people in the same house.

The Pasquetta day starts very early in the morning and ends very late at night: it’s all about eating and drinking (as if, we did not have any food on the day before, Easter!!) and playing soccer or volleyball with friends.

All people at any age attend the Pasquetta. For Southern Italians, it’s a tradition! Italians from the north, don’t believe how important the Pasquetta is for us!

This time, I and Marika will bring a ricotta and spinach Focaccia. We thought the focaccia would be perfect for a pic nic and also for all our girlfriends who like vegetables and want to be healthy!

This is the recipe (for 6 servings):

- 250 grams durum wheat flour;

- yeast (better the natural yeast);

- a pinch of sugar;

- 1 kg spinach;

- 150 grams fresh ricotta cheese;

- 70 grams parmesan cheese;

- 2 whole eggs;

- 1 garlic clove;

- pepper;

- salt;

- 2 tbp extra virgin olive oil

Spinach preparation:

In a big saucepan, cook the spinach with the garlic, a pinch of salt and a pinch of spicy pepper. Cook the spinanch at very low flame, stirring and covering with a lid. When they are al dente, remove the garlic, let them cool down and then reduce them in small pieces using a knife. Add 1 egg and the grated parmesan cheese.

Dough preparation:

Add some warm water to the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Mix together the flour with the yeast and water, 1 egg and the 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil. Knead the dough. Add 1 tsp of salt to the dough.

Divide the dough in two pieces and with a rolling pin, make two thin and round layers.

Prepare a baking pan with some olive oil and breadcrumbs. Place the first layer in the baking pan, cover with the spinach and with some pieces of ricotta cheese. Place the second layer on top.

Cook in a pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes at 180°C (350 F).

Do you have any similar Easter traditions?

Please let us know if you ever make this recipe.