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Rosemary and Guanciale Focaccine

17/11/2023

I can suggest a delicious recipe for rosemary and guanciale focaccine, a rustic and flavorful variant that can be served as an appetizer or side dish. Let’s look together at the ingredients and the procedure.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of 00 flour
  • 300 ml of lukewarm water
  • 12 g of fresh brewer’s yeast (or 4 g of dry brewer’s yeast)
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 60 ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 150 g of guanciale cut into small cubes
  • Coarse salt to taste (optional)

For the guanciale: If you prefer, you can substitute the guanciale with pancetta, which will be easier to find in some parts of the world, although the flavor will be slightly different.

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water and let it rest for a few minutes until the yeast begins to bubble on the surface.
  2. Add the sifted flour, oil, and salt and start kneading until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough.
  3. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and continue kneading for about 10 minutes, until you obtain an elastic dough.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl greased with oil, cover with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
  5. Meanwhile, in a skillet, sauté the guanciale cubes until crispy and set them aside on paper towels to remove excess fat.
  6. Once the dough has risen, take it out and divide it into pieces of about 80 g each. Roll out each piece into a focaccina about 1 cm thick.
  7. Arrange the focaccine on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush them with a little oil and add a pinch of chopped rosemary and the sautéed guanciale cubes on each one.
  8. Let the focaccine rise for another 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats to 200 °C.
  9. Bake the focaccine for about 15-20 minutes, or until they turn golden.
  10. Optionally, you can sprinkle the focaccine with coarse salt before baking for an extra touch of crunch and flavor.

Once baked, your rosemary and guanciale focaccine will be ready to be served hot and fragrant.

Interesting Facts

Guanciale is a typical ingredient in Italian cuisine, especially in central Italy, such as in Lazio where it is used in classic dishes like carbonara and amatriciana pasta. These focaccine combine the tradition of flavored bread with the savoriness of guanciale for a truly delicious result.