Cook This Now! Garden Focaccia Bianca

Yes, it was a classic Memorial Day on Long Island — cold, gray, and rainy. Not exactly barbecue weather. The lingering chill is the perfect excuse for comfort food. When takeout pizza seems predictable, a light, bubble-pocked slab of focaccia steps up. It turns a damp evening into an excuse to get creative. Best of all, the hard work is already done for you, IYKYK!

While bread baking is a lovely winter pursuit, spring in the Hamptons calls for a shortcut. The South Fork boasts world-class, professional-grade focaccia — an ideal canvas for home cooks. In Noyac, Robin and Luigi Tagliasacchi of Cappelletti Restaurant celebrate two decades in business, with roots that reach back to 1992, when they opened the original Espresso’s in Sag Harbor. They pioneered the regional Italian focaccia sandwich that inspired many local menus, including the Espresso’s later (and now-closed) incarnation on Main Street, Espresso Da Asporto. Each morning, Luigi bakes massive, airy sheets of focaccia that locals grab by the double serving.

Using store or restaurant-bought focaccia as the base saves on time, allowing for more care and consideration going towards the toppings. (Photos by Doug Young)

Meanwhile, in East Hampton, Michael Ferran — the longtime co-owner of the legendary Barrister’s in Southampton — has returned to the food scene on his own terms with Iron and Salt. After decades in the dining room, Ferran found his peace in the precise, quiet science of baking. His sought-after focaccia, which sells out almost instantly at Farm & Forage, is an expert study in crust and crumb.

To understand why you should buy your base rather than bake it on a gray day, consider the time involved. First, Ferran’s process begins the night before, when he mixes a biga — a pre-ferment of flour, water, and yeast — which must rest undisturbed overnight. The following morning, this bubbly starter is combined with more water, flour, yeast and salt to form the dough. Next, the dough undergoes about two hours of folding, turning, stretching, and rising. After this, it rests in the pan for at least thirty minutes before baking at high heat.

Rather than spending your afternoon managing yeast moods, let Cappelletti or Iron and Salt handle the baking so you can focus on the toppings.

This week, we are skipping the red sauce in favor of a spring-weight focaccia bianca, inspired by an Alsatian tarte flambée. The base starts with a rich layer of mascarpone whisked with fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, and a warm grating of nutmeg. Next, a pinch of dry breadcrumbs is sprinkled over the top, followed by finely shredded mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan. Finally, we layer paper-thin potato slices — run them over a mandoline until they are translucent — so they catch the heat and crisp up beautifully. The best way to cook this is quickly. If you have a pizza stone, place it directly on your outdoor grill and preheat it until hot. (Grab the umbrella if it’s raining, it will be worth it!) Slide the loaded focaccia onto the stone, close the lid, and keep a very close eye on it. The bottom of the baked bread crisps up incredibly fast, and you want to catch it right at the edge of char without burning it.

To finish, top the warm flatbread with whole spring onions charred on the grill, and a generous scatter of purple chive flowers. The damp spring weather has brought the chive blossoms out in droves; they offer a gorgeous pop of color and a mild, peppery onion bite that completely bypasses the long, tedious process of caramelizing onions.

This is a completely meatless affair — ideal for any vegetarian guests — though a few ribbons of pancetta would add a savory touch. Now that the holiday rain has cleared, fire up the grill and enjoy this rustic garden snack outside on a cool spring evening.

Tips for the Home Cook

• Tools of the Trade: A good garlic press is your best friend here. It easily emulsifies the minced garlic directly into the mascarpone and lemon juice base, ensuring a smooth, flavorful layer without any harsh, biting chunks of raw garlic.
• Master the Mandoline: Don’t let the mandoline intimidate you. While the old-school, finger-slicing models of the past earned a scary reputation, modern safety versions equipped with secure finger guards or spring-loaded pushers make the job effortless. You want those potato slices paper-thin so they cook through quickly, softening into a tender, au gratin-style texture.
• The Sizing & Flavor Match: If you choose Michael Ferran’s focaccia from Iron and Salt, don’t worry about the rosemary baked into his dough—herbaceous pine notes are a natural partner for the potatoes and garlic. Just keep in mind that his round, smaller loaves mean you’ll want to buy two to match the yield of Cappelletti’s large 10×14-inch rectangular slabs.
• The Cornmeal Trick: Try dusting your preheated pizza stone with a handful of cornmeal just before sliding the loaded focaccia onto it. Aside from preventing the bread from sticking, it adds an unexpected, rustic toastiness to the bottom crunch.
• The Alsatian Pour: While any crisp white wine works, keep the tarte flambée inspiration going by looking directly to our own East End backyard. A chilled glass of Channing Daughters Pinot Bianco brings that perfect dry, aromatic Alsatian profile to the table, with bright acidity and subtle stone-fruit notes cutting beautifully through the rich mascarpone and the potato gratin layer.