Potato Focaccia Recipes

POTATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest in a warm place for 25 minutes.
• Mix in the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour, until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough adheres to the hook. It should remain soft and slightly sticky. Continue mixing for about 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Remove from the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and put into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour, to let the dough rise until doubled.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook slowly until very crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve the pancetta and fat separately.
• Put the potatoes in cold salted water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook about 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and place in a bowl.
• Pour the pancetta fat over the warm potatoes, add the crisped pancetta, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon zest. Toss well and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a baking sheet.
• Lightly flour the dough and punch it down. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 10 inches. Brush off any excess flour and transfer to the oiled baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the potato mixture onto the dough and press it in with the flat of your hand. Press your fingers into the dough to make evenly spaced indentations all over the surface, being careful not to puncture or tear the dough. Scatter the remaining rosemary over the dough.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and the bread is crisp on the bottom. Let cool in the pan to room temperature. Cut into squares, "fingers," or triangles to serve.

SOFT POTATO FOCACCIA BREAD

Steps:

• Boil the unpeeled potato until tender. Drain, remove skin and mash well or pass through a potato ricer.
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer add the flour, yeast, honey and salt (place salt away from the yeast) and the mashed potatoes, start to knead (on #2 speed).
• Continue to knead, add the oil, then pour the water slowly (a slow stream), continue to knead for 3-4 minutes (no higher than #3-4 speed) or until dough is smooth and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Remove to a flat lightly floured surface and knead into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft free area for approximately 2 hours or doubled in bulk.
• Pre-heat oven to 400F (200C). Lightly oil a pizza pan. I used three 7 inch (19cm) pans.
• Divide dough and place in prepared pans, with finger tips make prints in the dough.
• To make the rosemary focaccia, sprinkle the dough with rosemary leaves, rock salt and drizzle with olive oil.To make the zucchini & cheese focaccia, top the dough with shredded zucchini, sprinkle with oregano and salt, top with shredded cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake for approximately 20 minutes until dough is cooked. Serve. Enjoy!

POTATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 12-by-18-inch rimmed baking pan, and spread all over using fingertips; set aside. Place half the potatoes in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water; place over high heat. Add 3 teaspoons salt when water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain in a colander, reserving liquid. Pass through a potato ricer or a food mill and into a bowl; set aside.
• Place 1/4 cup reserved warm liquid into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle in yeast, and stir well; let stand until creamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups more reserved liquid, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the reserved mashed potatoes; beat until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; add to potato mixture. Mix on low speed until flour is incorporated, about 3 minutes. Change to the dough hook, and knead on medium-high until dough is smooth and elastic and is slightly tacky when squeezed but does not stick to fingers, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a clean surface, and knead into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread dough evenly in the prepared baking pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until dough has filled the entire pan and has increased in size by about one-third, about 30 minutes.
• Using a mandoline or a knife, slice remaining potatoes into very thin rounds. Transfer to a bowl. Add half the rosemary and 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat potatoes well.
• Remove plastic wrap; dimple dough with fingertips, leaving deep indentations. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Gently press reserved sliced potatoes into dough. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm.

OLIVE POTATO FOCACCIA WITH ASPARAGUS MENORAH

Steps:

• For the focaccia: Peel and dice the potato into 1-inch pieces. Place in a medium stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potato pieces can be easily pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the water. Let the water cool until it is warm to the touch (about 100 degrees F), about 10 minutes.
• Mash the potatoes and measure 1 packed cup. You will probably have extra potatoes; I suggest adding some salt, butter and a dash of cream and eating them!
• In a large heatproof mixing bowl, add the flour, reserved water, yeast and potatoes and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and the salt and mix to combine.
• Knead the dough on a clean surface while adding more flour (up to 1 1/2 cups) until your dough is soft and slightly tacky, 5 to 7 minutes. Add in the olives towards the end of kneading.
• Drizzle a layer of oil in a large bowl and coat the dough in the oil on both sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• When the dough has doubled in size, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to a 12-inch round cast-iron skillet or a similar-sized heavy-bottomed pan to coat the pan. Spread the dough into the skillet so it covers the bottom. If it's bouncing back a lot, let the dough rest a few minutes and try again.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place, about 1 hour. Alternatively, you can let it rise in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you refrigerate it, it won't rise as much. Bring it to room temperature before the next step.
• Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Use your fingers to make dimples in the dough and drizzle with more oil.
• For the menorah: Remove the outer darkest layer of the onion and cut into 3 thin pieces that are 1 1/2 inches long to make up the menorah stand. Dice the rest of the onion layer into 1-centimeter pieces to make a decorative border around the edge of the dough.
• Cut off one side of the red pepper, avoiding the seeds. Trim a 2-inch curved piece to be the very bottom of the menorah stand. Then trim 3 thin flatter pieces that are 1 1/2 inches long to make up the menorah stand. Dice the remaining piece of red pepper into nine 1/2-centimeter pieces to make the candle wicks that will be placed between the asparagus candles and the tomato flames.
• Trim each piece of asparagus to fit the middle of the skillet, making sure 1 piece for the shamash (lighter candle) is slightly longer and the other 8 pieces are of equal length. Place the longer shamash piece on top of the dough in the center, then arrange the other 8 asparagus pieces in a row, spacing them out evenly on each side of the shamash. The shamash should be a little taller and the other asparagus pieces should be the same height.
• Add the 9 diced red pepper pieces on top of the asparagus pieces to make the candle wicks. For the flames, slice the grape tomatoes in half lengthwise, remove all the seeds and place one of them cut-side down above each red pepper piece to make a flame (you'll have 1 grape tomato half left over).
• For the base of the menorah, place a single row of olives below the asparagus, then alternate between the thin slices of red pepper and onion in the center to make the menorah stand. Place the 2-inch curved red pepper piece at the bottom of the stand, curving downward. Finally, make a decorative border by alternating between the remaining olives and diced onion around the edge of the dough.
• Brush everything with oil and bake until very golden brown, about 30 minutes. When done, brush with even more oil and sprinkle with salt. Eat! Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and heat before serving.

FOCACCIA BREAD W/POTATO DOUGH

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE DOUGH: Bring 1 quart of water to a boi in a small saucepan. Add peeled, quartered potato and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain the potato, cool until you're able to handle it. Then press it through a ricer or the large holes of a box grater to measure 1 1/2 cups total. Potato should be lightly packed when measuring.
• 2. While potato cools, use a standing mixer bowl and add yeast, 1/2 cup of the warm water and 1/2 cup of the flour Mix well with a wire whip. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes. Mixture will be bubbly.
• 3. Add the remaining ingredients of flour, oil, salt and the last 1/2 cup of the warm water. Mix on low speed using the paddle attachment until dough comes together in the bowl. Switch out to the dough hook and mix on medium/medium high speed for approximately 5 minutes. Dough will be very wet. Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl again with plastic. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• 4. Prepare a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch rimmed cookie sheet by drizzling a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Generously oil the pan and the sides. Transfer the wet dough into the pan and begin shaping the dough to fit the pan. Note, dough can rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. Cover the pan with a large damp towel or plastic wrap that is lightly sprayed with PAM to prevent sticking. Let rise in a warm spot until the dough is puffy and has doubled, anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• 5. When dough has doubled, carefully remove the wrap and using wet fingers, dimple the dough all over. Sprinkle on olive oil lightly and make sure it pools in some of the holes. Next sprinkle on the herbs or other toppings. Finally, give the dough a good sprinkle of sea salt.
• 6. Adjust oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees farenheit. When ready, bake the bread for 15 minutes. Turn the pan around and finish baking the bread for 6-10 minutes more or until bread is golden brown. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack and cool. Serve warm. Wrap the cooled bread in plastic and foil and freeze if you like, or use it for the next day.
• 7. Try slicing a square in half and adding your favorite meats or cheeses. Make a panini sandwich or a simple grilled sandwich if you like. Delicious!

POTATO ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast over 1 cup warm water and let it proof for 5 minutes, or until it is foamy. In a large bowl combine well 4 cups of the flour with the mashed potatoes and the salt until the mixture resembles coarse meal, add the yeast mixture, and stir the dough until it is combined well. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it, incorporating as much of the remaining 1/2 cup flour as necessary to prevent it from sticking, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, put it in an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is double in bulk. While the dough is rising, in a small bowl stir together the garlic, the rosemary, and the oil and let the mixture stand, covered. Turn the dough out into a well-oiled 15 1/2- by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan, press it evenly into the pan, and let it rise, covered loosely, in a warm place for 45 minutes or less, or until it is almost double in bulk. Using a mandoline or hand-held slicer cut the red potatoes into paper-thin slices, arrange the slices on the dough, overlapping them, and brush them with the oil mixture, discarding the garlic. Sprinkle the focaccia with salt and pepper to taste and bake it in the bottom third of a preheated 400°F. oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it is golden. Let the focaccia cool in the pan on a rack and serve it warm or at room temperature.

POTATO FOCACCIA PUGLIESE

Steps:

• Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the oil and water, then mix well. If the dough seems a little stiff, add 1-2 tbsp water, mix again, then put on a lightly floured work surface and knead well. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Remove from the bowl, knock back the dough, then spread out with your hands onto a large, oiled baking tray 20cm x 30cm. Brush with olive oil and make deep indentations with your fingers. Layer the potatoes and rosemary leaves over the top and drizzle with a little more oil. Leave to prove for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Sprinkle the dough with a little rock salt, if you like. Bake the bread for 30 mins until it is golden, the potatoes are tender and it sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Drizzle the loaf with more olive oil, if you like and, when cooled, serve on the tray.