Golden Focaccia Recipes

GARDEN FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/2 cups flour with 1 cup room-temperature water and 1/4 teaspoon yeast in a medium bowl. Stir to make a shaggy dough, making sure there are no dry pockets of flour or yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until there are large air bubbles on the surface and the dough has risen, about 4 hours.
• Combine 3/4 cup warm water with 3 tablespoons olive oil and the honey in a liquid measuring cup; stir to dissolve the honey. Combine the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons yeast and the kosher salt in a large bowl; stir to combine and make a well in the center. Pour the honey mixture into the well. Add the risen dough mixture and stir until combined. It will be very stretchy, but continue stirring until a shaggy dough forms, making sure there are no dry pockets of flour or yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until more than doubled in size and there are air bubbles on the surface, 1 to 2 hours.
• Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, then pour 3 tablespoons olive oil in the middle. Oil your hands, then run your hands down the inside of the bowl and remove the dough (it will deflate). Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and turn to coat in the oil. Shape the dough into a 12-inch-long oval, gently tucking the edges under if the dough spreads too much. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size and there are air bubbles on the surface, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Uncover the dough, then press with your fingertips to create dimples in the surface. Top with vegetables and herbs in a garden pattern.
• Drizzle the dough and vegetables with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and gently rub it into the vegetables, pressing them into the dough. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the bottom of the focaccia has browned, the top is golden and the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes on the baking sheet.

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2-cup warm water and honey; let stand for 5 minutes. Add flour, 1/4 cup oil, salt and remaining 3/4-cup water; mixing until smooth (dough will be wet). Scrape the sides of the bowl clean; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes., Preheat oven to 425°. Brush a 13x9-in. baking pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Gently scrape dough directly into pan. With oiled hands, gently spread dough. If dough springs back, wait 10 minutes and stretch again. Make indentations in the dough with your fingers. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; let rise until doubled in size, 30-40 minutes. , If desired, sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cut into squares; serve warm.

GOLDEN FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Make the starter by mixing the yeast and water, then adding the flour. Stir until the flour is incorporated.
• Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 14 hours. The starter will be bubbly.
• To make the dough, mix the active dry yeast (if using it) with a pinch of sugar and 2 tbl of the water and let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes, until it's bubbly and frothy.
• Combine the dissolved yeast or the instant yeast (whichever you are using) with the starter and the remaining dough ingredients and mix or knead - by hand, in your stand mixer or in your bread machine on the dough cycle - until you have a soft, smooth dough. A stand mixer will take about 7 minutes.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about an hour.
• Gently deflate it and allow it to rise for another hour - it should have doubled in bulk from its original volume.
• Lightly grease a 18" by 13" baking skeet with a rim, or two 9"x13" pans with vegetable oil spray. Drizzle olive oil on top of the spray. (The spray keeps the bread from sticking, the olive oil gives the bottom crust crunch and flavor).
• Gently pull and shape the dough into a rough rectangle and pat into the pan or pans. When the pieces start to shrink back, stop patting. Wait 15 minutes and pat further towards the edges of the pan(s). Repeat once more, if necessary, until the dough is close to covering the bottom of the pan(s).
• Cover and let the dough rise until it is very puffy. This will take about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Gently dimple the dough at irregular intervals with your fingers, pressing down firmly, but not abruptly - you do not want it to deflate too much.
• Spritz heavily with warm water (I don't always do this), drizzle with 2 tbl olive oil (or enough to collect a bit in the dimples), then sprinkle with the rosemary, black papper, and salt, to taste.
• Bake for about 10 minutes. If baking in two pans, reverse the pans, and continue baking until the focaccia is light golden brown, about another 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and immediately turn out onto a rack to cool.
• Note1: I usually use 1/2 cup warm milk, as I rarely have powdered milk around.
• Note2:Thyme is great instead of rosemary.

GOLDEN ONION FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cuo of flour.
• In 1 quart saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup water over medium heat until very warm (120-130) With mixer at low speed, gradually beat liquid into flour mixture just until blended, increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup flour, beat 2 minutes.
• With wooden spoon, stir in whole wheat flour to make a soft dough.
• Knead dough in bowl 8 minutes, working in about 1/2 cup more flour.
• (You can use mixer with Dough Hook- therefore you don't have to mix or knead by hand).
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap, let rest 15 minutes.
• Grease 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan, sprimkle with cormeal.
• Pat dough into pan, pushing to corners.
• cover loosely with plastic wrap.
• let rise in a warm place (80-85 degrees) 30 minutes, or until doubled.
• In 10 inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat, add onion, cook until tender.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• With finger make deep indentations 1 inch apart over entire surface of dough.
• (almost to bottom of pan).
• Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
• Spoon onion evenly over dough in pan.
• Sprinkle with remaining ingredients.
• Bake Focaccia for 20-25 minutes, until golden.
• Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack.
• Serve warm, or, remove from pan and cool completeley and serve later.
• ENJOY.