A summer focaccia worth making.

A fontina cheese and bell peppers focaccia might sound like a lot of work.  It’s not difficult and with the few easy steps I explain here you can make this fancy focaccia with no problems. Summer is when bell peppers are at their best. Your local supermarket will have plenty on hand.  This recipe calls for red, green, and yellow peppers.  Yes, you can use all one kind if you prefer. I like the variety and the different color peppers add a bit of nice color to the presentation of the focaccia.  Also, each pepper has its unique flavor, which adds to the taste of this focaccia bread.

Fontina is a mild-flavored semi-soft cheese from the Aosta Valley region of northern Italy.  It melts beautifully!  This cheese pairs nicely with the peppers’ flavor and helps make for a nice melted cheesy crust on the exterior of the focaccia bread.  If you do not like fontina cheese you can easily substitute it with mild provolone, gruyere, or gouda.  I suggest you stick with the fontina, It is perfect for this recipe.

Also, this recipe is divided into six equal portions of dough. This way each one of your guests can enjoy their very own mini-focaccia. Or, you can bake the entire dough without dividing it and have one big focaccia to slice and serve. The mini version is a nice touch and it is a great way to impress your guests. Remember that in cooking it’s the little personal touches that go a long way and create lasting memories.

To make the focaccia dough

• Mix the warm water, active dry yeast, and granulated sugar in a large bowl.
• Cover it and let it stand in a draft-free warm place in your kitchen for about 10 minutes.

Tip: The mixture will become frothy and slightly bubbly on top.

• Now clean and cut the peppers.
• Remember to remove the thin inner part of the pepper. Then cut the peppers into small dice.
• Reserve a half cup of the mixed peppers for garnish.
• Once the yeast has proofed add the flour, salt, peppers, and vegetable oil.
• Knead it on a floured work surface until you get a soft and smooth dough.
• Pour a teaspoon of vegetable oil onto the dough and spread it evenly over the surface.
• Place the dough back in the bowl. Cover and let the dough rise for 35-40 minutes.

• Once the dough has risen place it on a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 6 equal parts.
• Shape each part into rectangular shapes and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving space between them.

• Lightly stretch and press down the dough. Dimple the tops with your fingertips.
• Brush it on the top and sides with a little vegetable oil.
• Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 15-20 minutes.

Tip: Now preheat your oven to 425°F.

• After the second proof sprinkle the fontina cheese over each focaccia.
• Place it on the middle rack of your oven.
• Bake it for about 40-45 minutes or until the bread is golden and crunchy.

Sprinkle with the fontina and reserved peppers.

Tip: Remember to check the bottoms of the focaccia for doneness too. It should be lightly golden brown.

• Once done place the baking tray on your stovetop and let the focaccia cool for about 5 minutes.

It will be crunchy on the outside and pillow-soft inside.

Serve it while the focaccia is still warm. It’s delicious!

Try my chicken Valdostana recipe that also uses fontina cheese.