Mom's Focaccia Cheese Stuffed Bread

Focaccia is a delicious herb-infused bread with olive oil and lots of spices. The flavors are robust and many versions have been adapted through the years.


I made this dough stuffed with Italian cheeses. It's baked to perfection and the aroma is fabulous while baking, it's hard to wait until it's done baking to eat it!


Comfort food comes in all forms, for me, it's homemade bread of any kind.


This dough is so versatile it can be transformed into pizza, fried for a savory flavor or just the way it is!

Flat Bread or Stuffed Pizza Dough?

Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread product similar in style and texture to pizza dough.


Mom loved to make her flavorful dough stuffed with lots of melted cheese, the flavors are fantastic


This change and style was always a favorite.


Focaccia with fresh rosemary on top is a common focaccia style in Italian cuisine that may be served as an antipasto, appetizer, table bread, or snack.

Many Styles to Make Focaccia?

Focaccia (pronounced "fuh-KA-cha") is a flat oven-baked Italian bread product similar in style and texture to pizza doughs.


This dough can be used for any style of stuffed bread, pizza dough starter and a common style of table bread.


The smell is fragrant and using fresh herbs makes this unique flavor.


The classic style is a flat pizza with spices, herbs and baked to a crispy crust till golden brown.


Delicious as an appetizer with some wine.

Homemade bread

Today's post is a tribute to my mom's birthday January 8th, 1919 she passed in June 1999. Until we meet again, she lives on in the kitchen.


Growing up in an all Italian household, mom regularly made focaccia bread from a Southern Italy, style, she was from Bari.


Every Region makes it a little different. I believe it was started in Northern Italy.


Well no matter which way you make this delicious dough, it's a treat.


The whole family will enjoy it and you can add whatever you like on it to please them. The combinations are really endless.

Mom's Focaccia Cheese Stuffed Bread Pin for later

A Christmas Eve Traditional Bread Dough

If you do look up the original style from Italy, the recipe is plain and simple. It really use to be a traditionally served on Christmas Eve for centuries.


I see it as a flatbread kind of pizza. There again are so many versions depending on the Region of Italy it was made.


January 8th was mom's birthday and I decided this was going to be made in her memory today. I did, however, do this completely different!


I stuffed it with cheeses and baked it like a roll. The bread is the same with an Italian stuffed cheesy filling. It's wonderful, light and the perfect focaccia bread.


She lives on in all her recipes. Happy Birthday Margaret Ann Fanelli Colenzo! Always in my heart.

Missing Mom

Through the years of mom's passing, I find it heartwarming and yet still difficult without her by my side showing me her way to prepare foods. I love to keep her memory alive by making her foods.


That's why I made the cookbook in her memory.


Nothing could replace those days, I miss her every day that goes by.


We were very close as mother and daughter could be.

Mom Made Everything from scratch

Mom had me very late in life at age 40.


She passed away at 80 years old.


I don't think anyone is ready to lose their parents.


The ache never goes away.


One thing for sure, she never measured a thing when cooking, it's been quite a challenge recreating her recipes.


Mom was a good teacher, and since I loved to cook, I watched intently in the kitchen and so grateful.

Making Focaccia

If you would like to make regular focaccia, just stretch the dough out and use the toppings plus bits of tomato and minced onion with your herbs and even sliced olives.


Let the dough rise till double in size. This dough is versatile. You can use it for all your pizza needs, it's easy and basic.


If you would like to add tomato inside, it tends to stay wet and gets soggy. The toppings are an enhancement of a thicker bread, unlike pizza which is thinner.

Very Flavorful Stuffed Dough

Mom made so many rolls stuffed like sausage and pepperoni.


The focaccia dough adds loads of flavor to the rolls.


Regular style focaccia my mother made was thicker than pizza, dimpled, drizzled with olive oil, and topped simply with a bit of tomato, onions, and herbs.


It was delicious and love this dough either way you make it.

Get Creative With Toppings

There are so many toppings through the years people have added.


Besides fresh rosemary, add sliced olives, onions, peppers, anchovies.


You can come up with many ideas.

Try Some Of Our Other Homemade Bread Dough Recipes

Flat Bread
Ciabatta
Pita
Easter
Hoagies
Artisian
Pizza Dough
Sausage Roll

Watch My Quick Video Clip on Mom's Focaccia Cheese Stuffed Bread

Pizza or Bread?

You can use this dough recipe for pizza or stuffed bread.


Either way, you make it, I promise you will love it.


The herbs, spices and buttery flavored with melted cheese on top or inside it a gourmet tasting focaccia and perfect anytime for dinner or just a quick snack!

dough, homemade, bread, stuffed, cheese, herbs

bread, italian, homemade bread, rolls, bread dough, dough

Italian, American

Yield: 8Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Mom's Focaccia Cheese Stuffed Bread

prep time: 45 mins cook time: 45 mins total time: 90 mins

Mom's Focaccia Cheese Stuffed Bread is homemade bread with herbs stuffed with cheese

ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Filling

1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese

1/2 cup whole milk Ricotta cheese

1 cup whole milk shredded mozzarella or fontina

1/2 cup fresh chopped basil save 1 teaspoon some for garnish

salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary more for garnish on top just around 1 teaspoon extra minced

4 tablespoons grated Romano and Parmesan blended more for garnish

2 tablespoons olive oil and more for the top

Garnish:

grated  cheese mix Romano and Parmesan blended

saved basil and rosemary

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Mix together and set aside

instructions:

Blend all the dough ingredients until this forms a soft dough using either an electric mixer, bread dough machine or by hand. Let rest and rise for 1 and 1/2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Roll out the dough. spread with filling. Roll up like a jelly roll, seam side down.  Brush with more olive oil, sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Sprinkle top with chopped fresh rosemary, basil, and freshly cracked black pepper and dried oregano.  

Let it rest for 20 minutes.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown at 425 degrees preheated oven.

calories
168

fat (grams)
6

sat. fat (grams)
2

carbs (grams)
7

net carbs
5

protein (grams)
6

sugar (grams)
5

Created using The Recipes Generator

Mom's Focaccia Cheese Stuffed Bread Pin for later

Don't Forget to Try Mom's Other Favorite Recipes

Antipasto Salad Sandwich
Two Olive Tapenade
Panzerotti (fried pizza recipe)
Cupcake Quiche
Panko Roasted Eggplant
Zucchini Pizza
stuffed fried dough