Good home-made food has the power to make us feel well and happy, especially when we make it from scratch and with our hands. This is something we certainly need now that we are self-isolating at home and spending so much time inside.

This Italian potato focaccia recipe is fun to make, very easy and very tasty.

This focaccia is very good warm soon after you make it or cold/warmed up after one or two days.

In Puglia we call “focaccia” any double-crusted savory pie, stuffed inside.

Stuffed Potato focaccia

4-8 servings

– 2lb 2oz (1 kg) potatoes
– 1 whole egg
– 1 teaspoon sea salt
– 3 ½ oz (100 grams) whole purpose flour
– 3 ½ oz (100 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or other grated cheese)
– Chopped parsley
– Black pepper
– 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) melting cheese (gruyere or Emmental)
– 2 slices of ham
– 5 fresh ripe and sliced tomatoes
– 2 tablespoons capers (cured in white wine vinegar)
– Dry oregano
– ½ cup (50 grams) bread crumbs
– 2 table spoons extra virgin olive oil (Equilibrium or Green Season)

Boil the potatoes with the skin until they are very soft.

Peel them and mash them in a large bowl. Add flour, sea salt, egg, grated cheese,  black pepper and  parsley.
Work the dough vigorously with the hands and divide it in half.

Oil a baking pan and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the oiled baking pan.

Spread one half of dough in the pan so that it reaches all corners. Do it with your hands and not with a roller pin. Moist your hands with olive oil.

Over the first half distribute the ham, the melting cheese cut in chunks,  capers, tomatoes, oregano.

Top with the other half of the dough (use your hands and olive oil to wet them).
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and a bit more extra virgin olive oil.

Place the focaccia in the pre-heated oven and bake at 350 °F (180 °C) until the top is crisp (about 40-45 minutes).

NOTE: for the filling, you can use only tomatoes, capers and cheese, if you are vegetarian.

What food are you making while staying isolated at home?

I started a facebook group called Make Every Day a Happy and Healthy Day Club to support each other by sharing recipes of foods that make us happy, or pictures of foodie trips or anything else that can bring positive energy to us and our friends.

I hope you can join it!