Jalapeño Popper Focaccia

Dice one jalapeño and fold it into your focaccia dough during the stretch and fold process.

Prepare the other ingredients: slice the remaining jalapeños into rings, grate the cheeses, and cook the bacon until crispy. Reserve the bacon fat and crumble the cooled bacon.

In a bowl, make the filling by mixing the softened cream cheese with about half of the shredded cheddar and half of the crumbled bacon.

Transfer the cream cheese filling to a piping bag.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet drizzled with olive oil, stretch out the focaccia dough.

Pipe the cream cheese mixture over the dough, then top with some of the sliced jalapeño rings.

Fold the dough over to enclose the filling and let it proof.

While the dough proofs, prepare the topping by mixing the panko breadcrumbs, remaining shredded cheeses, remaining crumbled bacon, and some diced jalapeños in a bowl.

After proofing, stretch the dough out on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the panko topping evenly over the surface.

Drizzle with the reserved bacon fat, then dimple the dough with your fingers. Top with more sliced jalapeño rings.

Par-bake the focaccia. Then, remove it from the oven, top with more cheese, and return to the oven to bake until golden brown.

Once baked, poke holes all over the top of the focaccia.

Pipe the remaining cream cheese filling into the holes. Serve warm.