Focaccia alla Bolognese - How to Make “Bolognese Pizza”

Who doesn’t like ragù alla Bolognese? And who doesn’t like pizza? Put them together, and you get… Focaccia alla Bolognese! This recipe uses the light, fluffy dough of “focaccia alla Barese” as a base, topped with the hearty meat sauce that is a staple in the cuisine of Bologna. It’s a real crowd pleaser!

Focaccia alla Bolognese - How to Make “Bolognese Pizza”

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FOCACCIA ALLA BOLOGNESE RECIPE

Makes: 8 servings

Cook Time: 3 ½ hours, largely unattended

For this recipe, you will need:

• 6 cups (720 g) bread flour

• 2 teaspoons (8 g) active dry yeast

• 1 ¾ cups (420 ml) water

• 4 teaspoons (20 g) salt

• A pinch of sugar

• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing and drizzling

• 3 cups (700 ml) ragù alla Bolognese, or to taste

• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour and yeast. Add most of the water, but keep about ¼ cup (50 ml) in reserve. Mix with a wooden spoon until all of the water is absorbed and a rough, crumbly dough forms. Add the salt, sugar, and remaining water. Mix until all of the ingredients are well-incorporated.

Add the olive oil and mix it thoroughly into the dough. At this point, it will likely be more convenient to fold the dough by hand rather than mix it with the spoon. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Slide your hand underneath the dough, along the side of the bowl, then lift and fold the edge of the dough into itself. Repeat this process, turning the bowl as you go to fold all the sides in.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Repeat this process four or five more times: folding the dough, covering the bowl, and letting it rest for 20 minutes.

After folding the dough for the last time, cover the bowl again and let it rest for 1 hour or until it has roughly doubled in size. It’s best to rest the dough in a warm place, such as an oven with the light on.

Liberally grease the bottom and sides of a large non-stick baking tray—13x18 inches (33x46 cm), or similar—with olive oil. Place the risen dough in the tray and gently press it out with your fingertips, working from the center toward the edges. Spread the dough until it completely fills the entire tray up to the edges. If the dough tends to shrink back from the corners, wait a few minutes minutes for the gluten to relax and try again.

Liberally drizzle the top of the dough with olive oil and spread it around evenly with your hands. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an additional hour, or until the dough rises to reach the top edges of the tray.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Evenly spread a thick layer of ragù on top of the pizza, followed by a drizzle of olive oil and plenty of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Bake the focaccia for 14 to 16 minutes, until the bottom is golden (you can carefully check it by lifting with a spatula) and the cheese on top is beginning to crisp.

Serve hot and fresh, if possible, but it can also be reheated in a warm oven. The focaccia will last a day or two refrigerated.

Buon appetito!