Deputy food editor and self-proclaimed devilish mind Hana Asbrink floated the idea of this mash-up focaccia at 3:30 on a Thursday afternoon. By 3:36 the plan to make this fluffy, crispy, spicy, cheesy monster was well underway. In recipe development world, that’s faster than fast. (Find recipes for the two dishes that inspired it here: Cacio e Pepe Pasta and Shockingly Easy No-Knead Focaccia.)
It took making four focaccia with 1 oz., then 2 oz., then 3 oz., and finally 4 oz. cheese to see that in this rare case, sometimes more cheese is simply too much cheese. Where 4 oz. weighed the bread down and compacted the crumb, 3 oz. was just right. Using a sharp Pecorino that’s been aged for at least six to eight months and grating it finely was the key to this Goldilocks texture and flavor: light and airy but cheesy enough to be undeniably cacio e pepe. Speaking of finely grated cheese, here is a moment where you skip the Microplane and use your blender instead. Why? The Microplane makes the cheese almost too fine, causing it to be papery, dry, and thirsty, absorbing too much liquid from the dough. Plus, it takes a long time and a lot of arm strength to grate the full 3 oz. needed. Here, we cut the cheese into walnut-size cubes and give them a whirl until a powdery, pebbly dust emerges. If your blender is old, cut the cubes into even smaller pieces—and send up a prayer before blitzing them. And if you really must, pre-grated cheese from the deli is fine. Sort of.
Ingredients
8 servings
3
3
2½
2
2½
½
4
Preparation
Step 1
Mix 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 2 oz. Pecorino Romano, finely grated (about ½ cup; 56 g), 2½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 2 tsp. sugar, 2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper, and ½ tsp. instant yeast in a large bowl with a rubber spatula to combine. Pour in 1⅓ cups room-temperature water and mix until a sticky dough forms with no dry patches of flour remaining. Cover tightly with a lid or plate and let rest at room temperature 15 minutes.
Step 2
Uncover dough and, using a wet hand, stretch one side up and over to meet the opposite side. Repeat three more times, turning bowl 90° after each time. This constitutes 1 full fold. If dough doesn’t always stretch to meet opposite side, just aim for the middle. Wet your hands and shake off excess any time the dough begins to feel sticky. (Having a small bowl of room-temperature water on the counter is the easiest approach.) Cover dough and let rest 15 minutes. (Set a timer so you don’t forget.)
Step 3
Repeat folding process every 15 minutes for a total of three times (if you lose count halfway through, just fold one more time and proceed). By the end of the third fold, the dough should be significantly smoother and tighter.
Step 4
Drizzle dough with some extra-virgin olive oil and turn to coat. Turn dough seam side down, cover bowl tightly, and chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Dough will rise slowly in the fridge, increasing in size, but may not double. (Alternatively, let dough rise, tightly covered, at room temperature, until nearly doubled in size, 3–4 hours.)
Step 5
Generously butter a 10″–12″ cast-iron skillet; pour 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into skillet, swirling to coat (this double greasing prevents any sticking and helps create a golden brown bottom crust). Transfer dough to prepared skillet, turning to coat on all sides with oil. Turn dough seam side down. Using your fingers, press dough to edges of skillet. If dough resists, let rest 5–10 minutes before trying again. Cover skillet (a rimmed baking sheet is excellent for this) and let dough rise in a warm place until puffy, jiggly, and nearly doubled in size, 2–3 hours, depending on the temperature of the room.
Step 6
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Holding fingers like a claw, dimple focaccia, pushing dough slightly away from you to create deep depressions (this feels fun, but try not to overdo it or you’ll risk deflating the dough). Sprinkle surface with a large pinch of flaky sea salt.
Step 7
Bake focaccia until puffed and deep golden brown (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register 200°–205°), 20–30 minutes.
Step 8
Meanwhile, mix remaining 1 oz. Pecorino Romano, finely grated (about ¼ cup; 29 g), and remaining ½ tsp. coarsely ground pepper in a small bowl to combine.
Step 9
Slide focaccia out of oven; brush with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over. Return focaccia to oven and bake until cheese is just melted, about 2 minutes. Let focaccia cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Using a fish spatula or 2 large spoons, remove focaccia from pan and transfer to rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes, then slice into squares or wedges.
