Email to Magnolia Lane      

Focaccia

Source of Recipe

by Shanny, from LHJ, April 1992 and Ginger, from Joslin Diabetes Gourmet Cookbook


Recipe Link: messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-fdcooking&msg=10434.1

List of Ingredients

Dough:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (105° - 115°), equally divided
5 - 5½ cups bread or all-purpose flour, divided
1½ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Topping:
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher or sea salt
fresh sage, rosemary & thyme


Recipe

Sprinkle yeast over 1 cup warm water in large mixer bowl. Stir briefly, then let stand 5 minutes to dissolve. Attach paddle or dough hook to mixer. At low speed, stir in 2 cups flour and the salt; beat until smooth, one minute (or combine ingredients in large bowl and beat vigorously with wooden spoon 2 minutes). Add remaining 1 cup warm water and oil to blend. Add enough flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to make a soft dough that begins to pull away from sides of bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth & elastic, 8 to 10 minutes (or, I assume, go ahead & knead it with your dough hook). Place in large, lightly greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with kitchen towel & let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk - 1 to 1¼ hours. Remove dough from bowl & gently knead 1 minute.

Lightly oil a 15x10½" jelly roll pan. With rolling pin, shape dough into 12x8" rectangle. Carefully transfer to prepared pan, stretching it gently with fingers, to edges of pan. Press top of dough with fingertips, leaving ½" deep indentations. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Adjust 1 oven rack to lowest position. Place shallow baking pan on top rack of oven. (If using a baking stone, place in cold oven and preheat 30 minutes before baking.) Press dough again with fingertips and brush with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. kosher salt & 2 tbsp. assorted chopped fresh herbs or 1 tsp. dried herbs.

Just before baking, carefully place 1 cup ice cubes in baking pan on top oven rack & immediately place dough on baking stone or lowest oven rack. Bake 25-30 minutes (if using stone, bake 20-25 minutes) until top is golden & bottom sounds hollow when removed from pan & tapped on bottom. Remove focaccia from pan & transfer to wire rack. While still warm, brush top with another 2 tbsp. olive oil. Cool. Cut into 5x1½" pieces.


More toppings from Ginger:
SAGE AND ONION TOPPING
1 tb fresh sage, chopped -OR- 1 tsp dried sage; crushed
1/4 ts coarse salt

ROSEMARY AND RAISIN TOPPING
1/3 c golden raisins; plumped in 1/4 c fresh orange juice; for 30-minutes
1 tb fresh rosemary, chopped -OR- 1 ts dried rosemary; crushed

TOMATO TOPPING
1 fresh plum tomato; about 1/4
- 1/4 lb sliced c
1 oz sun-dried tomatoes; (packed-dry), plumped in
1 tb fresh oregano, -OR- 1 ts oregano; crushed dried
1/4 ts coarse salt

SOUTHWESTERN TOPPING
4 cloves garlic; slivered
1/4 c cilantro (fresh coriander)
1/4 c dry-roasted sunflower seeds

Using dough recipe from above, cut dough into 6 equal pieces.

On a lightly floured board, roll each piece into 5-to-6 inch circle. Lightly spray three 12 x 15-inch baking sheet with cooking spray. Place 2 circles of dough far apart on each sheet. Brush circles with olive oil. Sprinkle with topping.

Lightly cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until dough rises and appears puffy, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bake until puffed and golden. 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Best eaten same day; freeze for longer storage.