Focaccia col Formaggio

Focaccia col formaggio (or focaccia di Recco) is not the same thing as Genovese focaccia. It's a completely different creation: two paper-thin layers of unleavened dough with soft, runny stracchino cheese melted between them. It comes out of the oven puffed, blistered, and bubbling, with the cheese oozing out of every crack.

It originates from Recco, a small town about 20 minutes from Genova by train. The recipe is so fiercely protected that it has IGP status (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) — meaning it can only officially be called 'Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio' if it's made in Recco following the traditional method.

The dough must be stretched by hand until it's almost transparent — you should be able to read a newspaper through it. The cheese must be fresh stracchino, at room temperature. And it must be baked in a wood-fired oven at extremely high heat for just a few minutes.

Near home, La Funicolare (Corso Magenta, 8 minutes away) makes it — book a table by phone. And for the real thing, take the train to Recco, the town it comes from, and go to Manuelina, the historic spot serving it since 1885.