Carnival Focaccia
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 40 min
- Cook time: 60 min
- Serving: 10
- Cost: Low
- Note + 3 h to let the dough rise
PRESENTATION
Carnival focaccia is from Puglia, especially Salento, where Carnevale means tender food before Lent. And listen, this isn’t your usual focaccia—it’s a stuffed bread, showing up just for the festive season. Inside the soft dough? You’ve got pork, onions, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Really good stuff. The mozzarella gets all gooey while the pork stays juicy. So, every slice? Offers a taste of everything.
Eating carnival focaccia is about those simple, no-fuss flavors that linger. In Salento, everyone claims their family’s recipe is the best—no question. Some folks add more tomatoes or cheese. It’s a point of pride.
On Martedì Grasso, when folks dress up and fill the streets, someone always brings out a big tray of this Italian carnival bread. It’s the kind of food you tear apart with your hands, sharing with friends in masks. Nobody’s counting pieces. While northern places make sweet stuff like schiacciata alla fiorentina or Florentine carnival cake, Salento sticks to savory comfort. It’s perfect, for real, for soaking up the party vibe. Not like those Tuscan desserts or festive Italian baking—it's hearty and a bit chewy. Perfect when you want something warm and filling. That smell—golden crust, slow-cooked onions, and moist cheese—tells you Carnevale is here.
For anyone who loves traditional Italian recipes, this focaccia is a must. I mean, it shows how creative and fun Southern Italian food gets during big holidays. A dish that brings people together, lets you relax, and reminds everyone what Carnevale's about. Sharing good things, really. And maybe breaking a few food rules before Lent begins. Which is great.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the dough for a round pan of 11.25 inches (measured at the base)
- Durum wheat flour 5 cups (600 g)
- Type 00 flour 0.8 cup (100 g)
- Water 1.7 cups (410 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 3 ½ tbsp (50 g)
- Fresh brewer's yeast 0.25 oz (7.5 g)
- Fine salt 1 ½ tsp (10 g)
- For the filling
- Pork coppa salami 0.9 lb (400 g)
- Mozzarella cheese 10.5 oz (300 g) - cow's milk
- Peeled tomatoes ½ cup (120 g)
- Pecorino cheese 2.5 oz (70 g) - to grate
- White onions 1 - small
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- For brushing
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
How to prepare Carnival Focaccia
To make the Carnival focaccia, first prepare the dough: crumble the fresh yeast in 220 g (7.75 oz) of warm water 1 and stir with a teaspoon to dissolve completely, then pour the liquid into a large bowl. Add the semolina flour 2 and start kneading with your hands, gradually pouring in the remaining water 3.
Add the all-purpose flour 4, salt 5, and oil 6, continuing to knead.
When all the ingredients are well combined 7, transfer the mixture to a work surface and continue kneading until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough, shaping it into a ball 8. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap 9, and let it rise for about 3 hours at room temperature.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the filling: cut the pork into cubes (10-11) and slice the onion thinly 12.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion 13, and let it turn golden for a few minutes, then add the meat 14 and brown it over high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring often. At this point, add the canned tomatoes 15, salt, pepper, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes: be careful not to overcook the meat to keep it tender.
When the filling is cooked, transfer it to a bowl using a slotted spoon to remove excess liquid 16 and let it cool down 17. Finally, cut the mozzarella into irregular cubes 18 and set aside; if it's quite watery, let it drain in a strainer until ready to use.
After the rising time, the dough will have doubled in volume 19. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 2 equal parts 20. Roll out the 2 portions of dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/8 inch 21.
Grease a baking pan with a base diameter of 11.25 inches and a surface diameter of 12.75 inches 22, and line it with one of the dough portions, ensuring it adheres well to the base and sides 23. Add the meat and tomato filling 24,
the mozzarella cubes 25, grated Pecorino 26, and ground black pepper 27.
Place the second dough portion over the filling to cover the entire pan 28 and remove the excess dough with a knife 29. Seal the edges by pinching the lower dough with the upper one and folding it inward, creating a decorative pattern 30.
After sealing it, brush the focaccia's surface with oil using a brush 31 and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 45 minutes. Once cooked, take it out of the oven 32 and let it cool slightly, then your rich Carnival focaccia is ready to be served 33!