The Mediterranean Melt

Focaccia

5½ cups all-­ purpose flour
1½ tbsp
kosher salt
2¼ tsp active dry yeast (one ¼ oz/8 g packet)
2¾ cups warm water(105°F)
½ cup extra-­ virgin olive oil
1 tbsp flaky salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

Ricotta

450 g ricotta (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp runny honey
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp kosher salt

Eggplant

1 large eggplant, sliced into ¼” thick rounds
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1 ½ cups Gruyère cheese, shredded

Assembly
½ cup passata (strained tomato sauce)
Basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

First, let’s prepare the focaccia. If you’re short on time, feel free to use store-bought focaccia—it will be just as delicious!

Place the flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Gently pour the warm water into the bowl and, using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, stir until a very sticky, rough dough has formed. Leaving the dough in the bowl, lightly oil your hands and knead the dough for 3–4 minutes. Add ¼ cup olive oil to a large, clean bowl and use your hands to coat the inside of the bowl with it. Carefully transfer the dough to the oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, stretch and fold the dough by gently taking hold of one side and stretching it out to meet the other side. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this three more times. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Repeat three more times, stretching and folding the dough every 15 minutes (a total of four times over an hour). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap once more and let it chill in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a 13 × 18-­ inch rimmed baking sheet (or a 9 × 13-inch baking pan for thicker focaccia) and brush the oil over the bottom and sides to coat. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm spot to rise for about an hour to an hour and a half or until it has filled the pan considerably and the dough has almost reached the edge of the pan. This depends on the temperature of your kitchen (it could take longer, so be patient!)

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

If you’re using a 13 × 18-inch baking sheet, do your best to stretch the dough so it fills the pan. If the dough is being finicky and bounces back, cover and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. If you’re using a 9 × 13-inch pan, the second rise should have done all the work and filled the pan for you. Use your fingers to poke dimples all over the dough—have fun with this; it can be quite therapeutic! Pour the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over the dough, letting it fill all those dimples. Sprinkle with the flaky salt, rosemary, and thyme. Bake for 20–25 minutes if using a 13 × 18-inch baking sheet or 25–30 minutes if using a 9 × 13-inch baking pan until nicely browned and the edges are crisp. Remove from the oven and stare lovingly at the focaccia as it sputters and dances with oil on the hot baking sheet. It’s my favourite part of this recipe (well, maybe my second favourite because ripping off a piece of warm focaccia straight out of the oven is a gift you will not soon forget! Just make sure you let it cool for 5 minutes before doing that—­ I don’t want to be responsible for you burning yourself!). Once cooled for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

The whipped ricotta is super easy—here’s how to make it. Add the ricotta to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend on high for 10-20 seconds. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil and honey. Continue to blend until smooth. Sprinkle in the seasonings and continue to whip until incorporated. Set aside.

Next, we’ll grill the eggplant. Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the eggplant rounds with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant for about 3-4 minutes on one side, flip, and grill for another 2 minutes, then sprinkle with grated cheese. Close the lid of the BBQ or cover the grill pan and let the cheese melt—about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the grill, or place it on the warming rack above the main grill.

Slice the focaccia loaf in half like you’re about to make a super-sized sandwich (which you are!!). Drizzle with olive oil and add it to the grill, cut side down. Grill for a few minutes or until the desired toastiness is achieved. Remove from the grill and spread the passata onto the grilled side of the focaccia. Place the grilled eggplant on top and pipe or spread the whipped ricotta on top. Garnish with basil and the top half of the focaccia. Slice into sandwiches and enjoy!