A Tiny Town in the Italian Riviera Has Its Own Version of Focaccia, and Let This Be a Warning—It’s Addictive

Unlike the pillowy-soft focaccia that’s more widely known, focaccia di Recco is thin, crispy and filled with gooey cheese

Michelle Tchea | Freelance writer

September 17, 2026 1:28 p.m.

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This summer, I found myself on a mission. As temperatures soared into the mid-90s during Europe’s heat wave, I packed my bags and embarked on a six-hour road trip from Switzerland to Liguria. Rather than seeking out seasonal treats like granita or gelato, I was headed to the Italian coast for focaccia.

When most Americans­—and Italians, for that matter—think of focaccia, they think of the pillowy-soft version that’s leavened with yeast, baked in a sheet pan and perfect for scarpetta, or the mopping up of delicious sauces. However, ask any Ligurian, and they will tell you that the focaccia that reigns supreme is focaccia di Recco.

Focaccia di Recco is a specialty dish in Liguria. Starkly different from the carbohydrate found in the United States, this yeast-free snack is a thin flatbread filled with gooey cheese—usually crescenza or stracchino—and baked in a super-hot oven until crispy and golden brown.

Certified as just one of four foods of the Ligurian coast with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designation from the European Union, an official focaccia di Recco can be made only in Recco or neighboring Camogli, Sori or Avegno. Along with sea-salt cured anchovies, basil and olive oil, focaccia di Recco is the pride of the Ligurian people. For two decades, a consortium, the Consorzio della Focaccia di Recco, has safeguarded the legend of the bread by promoting it through annual events like the Recco Focaccia Festival.

“The focaccia di Recco celebrates authenticity, local traditions and is a connection between food, people and place,” says Giovanni Astolfoni, a Genoa native who is executive chef of Botanico Restaurant in Nervi. “It is much more than a local specialty. It perfectly reflects the spirit of Ligurian cooking. … It looks simple, yet making it well takes experience, patience and respect for the ingredients.”

Even revered pizza makers in Italy hold focaccia di Recco in high esteem, agreeing that it is worth the pilgrimage. “What impresses me most is its simplicity and the incredible craftsmanship behind it,” says Francesco Capece, owner of Confine in Milan, recently named Italy’s best pizzeria. “With just a few ingredients, it creates a perfect balance between the crispy, paper-thin dough and the creamy cheese filling. It is a beautiful example of how Italian tradition transforms simple ingredients into something extraordinary.”

History of Focaccia di Recco

According to the consortium, the history of focaccia di Recco can be traced back to 1189, when a version of the bread appeared on the table of medieval knights before they made their departure for the Holy Land during the Third Crusade. However, it was during the raids by Saracen pirates around the 16th century that focaccia di Recco became what it is today, confirms Lucio Bernini, the consortium’s director. Research shows that as locals from Recco fled to the mountains, the ingredients they carried with them—flour, oil and cheese—were combined and cooked over slate stone. At the end of the 1800s, bakeries and taverns sold focaccia di Recco to residents in celebration of All Souls’ Day (November 2), the day after All Saints’ Day, which marks a two-day Christian observance of saints and martyrs, as well as those who are deceased. Nowadays, focaccia di Recco is a staple in the Ligurian diet, with locals in the region’s four provinces having constant access to it throughout the day.

In the 19th century, Panificio Moltedo, a bakery that still stands in Recco, was the first to sell focaccia di Recco. The now fifth-generation-owned bakery recently celebrated its 150th year making its wafer-thin pastry; unlike other bakeries and taverns, Panificio Moltedo does not bake its focaccia in a pan but rather directly on the deck of the oven, like a pizza, for maximum crispness. Another longtime favorite is Manuelina. The restaurant’s namesake ran a tavern outside of Recco in the late 1800s and is credited with making focaccia di Recco mainstream by serving it every day. Her descendants opened a simple focacceria in town in 1983 to keep up with demand. “Manuelina took the popular recipe and was the first to start selling it every day and for everyone to enjoy, But they did not invent focaccia di Recco,” says Bernini.

In the past century and a half, a handful of other eateries have opened along the Italian Riviera selling focaccia di Recco. One of those is Revello Camogli in the resort town of Camogli. “We have been making focaccia di Recco ever since my grandfather took over the business in 1964,” says third-generation owner Umberto Revello. “Running a bakery like ours requires a great deal of time, so the bakery becomes a second home—if not the first. Since we were children, we have grown up watching our father and grandfather make focaccia every day. It naturally became part of our family tradition.” He says that it’s more than a family business; focaccia represents an important part of his identity.

Second-generation focaccia di Recco maker Fabrizio Passano agrees. “My father, Alfredo, started making focaccia di Recco in 1967, and for the last 59 years, we have continued the tradition,” says the chef at Alfredo Ristorante in Recco. “Focaccia di Recco is a symbol of an ancient tradition we hold incredibly dear.”

Once I arrived in Recco, the focaccia, advertised on blackboard menus and in bakeries around town, was hard to miss. The blisters that formed on the roof of my mouth as I sampled different vendors’ versions of the bread filled with piping hot cheese were well worth it.

“While every restaurant has their own differences in technique, there really is only one recipe,” says Passano, acknowledging the focaccia’s PGI status. “So you have to stick with the plan.” When I stop into Alfredo Ristorante, the chef tosses the focaccia dough in the air with very little effort. Clearly, he has made many, and the result is a very thin and crispy focaccia. The cheese is chewy and makes a squeaking noise when I bite into it.

Over lunch at Alfredo, Bernini tells me the consortium consists of 12 members with 19 destinations, including bakeries, take-away eateries and restaurants spread across the Ligurian coast. “The PGI preserves the true history and tradition against increasingly widespread imitations,” the former hotelier adds.

According to Bernini, without the PGI stamp, the focaccia should not be called focaccia di Recco and should bear the name focaccia col formaggio (focaccia with cheese). A handful of restaurants in the United States, including Chi Spacca in Los Angeles, Rosie Cannonball in Houston and Keste in New York City, have the specialty on their menus.

How to make focaccia di Recco

According to Bernini, Passano and Revello, achieving a perfect focaccia di Recco comes down to the skills of the focacciai (a Ligurian term for focaccia makers). But all three agree that you can make the bread at home with a few simple tips.

“An important element to making a great focaccia di Recco is using high-quality ingredients,” says Revello. He continues, “Firstly, the flour. We use a strong Italian Type ‘0’ flour, which has an appearance of traditional white flour while retaining the most valuable parts of the wheat grain.”

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The biggest difference between pizza dough and focaccia di Recco dough, Capece says, is that the latter contains no yeast. “It is made to be stretched extremely thin, while remaining elastic and strong enough to hold the cheese filling.”

And the cheese? Many bakers are steadfast in saying that only crescenza should be used. “We use only carefully selected crescenza cheese with a low fat content, otherwise, the cheese would melt too much during baking and would not give the desired result,” explains Revello.

Focaccia di Recco is typically baked in a pan, and this is where the true skill of a baker shines. “The dough must be stretched into an extremely thin sheet, almost transparent, and only experienced hands can achieve that consistency,” says Revello. “You should almost be able to see through the top layer before baking. This is one of the defining characteristics of an authentic focaccia di Recco.”

Baking the bread in a pizza oven is ideal. “Both pizza and focaccia di Recco require very high temperatures, but the goals are different,” says Capece. “Pizza needs a balanced heat from both the bottom and the top to develop a crisp base and a well-cooked crust. Focaccia di Recco also needs intense heat, but especially from above, to quickly brown the thin dough while keeping the cheese creamy.”

Revello adds that the main limitation of a home oven is its maximum temperature. “At lower temperatures, the focaccia needs to bake for longer, which tends to dry out the dough rather than keeping it light and delicate,” he says.

“Every focacciaio has a unique touch,” says Bernini. “That is why we invite all our guests to try various bakeries or restaurants of our consortium.”

Revello has tried many versions of focaccia di Recco, but, in his opinion, nothing beats “sitting on the beach, eating it with your hands while looking out at the sea in Camogli.”

Revello Camogli’s Focaccia di Recco Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups (500 grams) Type 0 flour (may substitute bread flour)

¼ cup (50 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan

1 cup (about 240 grams) water

1 teaspoon fine salt

Approximately 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of fresh crescenza (stracchino) cheese

Directions

To make the dough, mix the flour, oil, water and salt until well combined. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.

If you have a pizza oven, preheat it to 570°F. Otherwise, preheat a home oven to its maximum heat, about 500°F.

Divide the dough into two pieces, one about two-thirds of the total. Place the larger piece on a well-oiled pizza pan and stretch to cover the pan. Drop dots of cheese all over the dough. Roll or hand-stretch the smaller piece of dough as thinly as possible. Lay this thin sheet on top of the cheese. Prick large holes in the dough to let out any trapped air.

Bake the focaccia for 7 to 8 minutes, or longer if you’re baking at a lower heat. It is ready when the top is golden and the bottom slides freely on the baking pan. Slice and serve while hot.

Michelle Tchea is the owner of Chefs Collective and the author of five bestselling books on food, wine and global cuisines. Her work has been published by Time, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure.