Ligurian Stretched Cheese Flatbread

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Originating from the Ligurian town of Recco, this IGP-protected flatbread is stretched by hand into paper-thin sheets, then layered with creamy stracchino cheese and baked until the dough turns crisp and blistered while the cheese melts into a gooey center. The contrast of crackly, olive-oil-brushed crust against molten mild cheese is what makes this a coastal Ligurian favorite.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 485 kcalCalories
• 28 gFat
• 11 gSaturated Fat
• 42 gCarbs
• 2 gFiber
• 2 gSugar
• 18 gProtein
• 720 mgSodium
• 160 mgPotassium
• 240 mgCalcium
• 2 mgIron
• 0 mgVitamin C
• 210 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the dough

• 2 cups (250 g) Italian '00' flour or all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

For the filling and topping

• 12 oz (340 g) stracchino or crescenza cheese (or fresh young mozzarella, drained)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Directions

1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Add the lukewarm water and olive oil, stirring with a fork until a rough dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
2. Shape into a ball, coat lightly with olive oil, and place in a clean bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size.
3. Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) with a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet inside. Cut the cheese into small pieces so it spreads easily.
4. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Keep one covered while you work. Using oiled hands, press and stretch the first portion outward, rotating frequently, until you have a very thin sheet roughly 12 inches across, just thick enough to see the shadow of your hand through it.
5. Transfer the stretched dough to a parchment-lined peel or the back of a sheet pan. Scatter half the cheese evenly over the surface, leaving a 1-inch border all around.
6. Stretch the second portion of dough the same way and drape it over the cheese, pinching the edges together to seal. Stretch the assembled flatbread gently with your knuckles to round it out.
7. Brush the top generously with olive oil, sprinkle with flaky salt, and slide the flatbread onto the hot stone or sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the top is blistered and golden and the cheese bubbles through.
8. Let rest 2 minutes, then cut into squares and serve immediately while the cheese is molten.

Cook’s Notes

• True Recco-style dough is stretched by hand using the backs of the knuckles, never rolled, to keep it tissue-thin and uneven for an authentic blistered crust.
• If stracchino is unavailable, fresh crescenza is the most faithful substitute; mild young mozzarella, drained well and torn into pieces, works in a pinch but is firmer and less creamy.
• Work with slightly oiled hands so the dough doesn't stick and so the baked crust has its signature crisp, oily top.
• A hot oven and hot stone are essential: the brief blast of high heat is what gives the flatbread its crackle while keeping the dough tender.
• Eat within minutes of leaving the oven – once cool, the cheese firms up and the dish loses its magic.

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