Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/8 pounds (500 g) bread dough, risen (get this from a bakery, or make your own)
- 1/2 pound (225 g) finely sliced fresh mild cheese, what is called primo sale in Sicily
- 2 tablespoons pitted black olives, chopped (optional)
- 2/3 pound (300 g) ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, sliced, and drained
- A small bunch of basil, shredded
- Fresh oregano to taste, shredded
- 2 salted sardines, rinsed, split, boned, and chopped (optional)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Oil your hands and briefly knead the dough, then break it up into four small loaves and flatten them. Brush them with a well-stirred mixture of olive oil and water and bake them in a preheated 500 F (250 C) oven for 20-25 minutes (if you are using a wood-fired pizza oven, they will cook faster). When they are done, let them cool and open them up, using a long-bladed knife to separate the top from the bottom.Cover the bottom halves of the focacce with the sardines, basil, tomatoes, olives, and cheese, season them with a little salt, drizzle some olive oil and a little oregano over them, replace the top halves of the focacce, and serve at once.
