focaccia, libertine of the bread world

There is little so decadent as fresh focaccia, whether piled high with toppings or a plain, lightly salted slab. My two favourite ways of doing focaccia at the moment are really a matter of taste, but I adore them so and felt they must be shared.

However you top your focaccia, the base recipe is always pretty much the same. You can always add sesame seeds or threads of grated cheese or herbs or what have you directly to the batter, but the dough itself is made thus:

ingredients:

1 level tbsp. active dry yeast
1 1/3 c. warmish water
3 2/3 c. plain flour (Type 'O' is substitutable, though you may want to vary amounts)
1 tbsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

method:

Dissolve the yeast in the water and leave for about 15 minutes, or until it's got a nice foamy head to it. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl together, add the yeast mixture once ready and then add the olive oil. I mix everything by hand, the initial tactile gloppiness does something for me the way mixing with a machine never quite achieves. Knead on your counter for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic -- depending on your climate this can take up to 15 minutes, but it really is worth it!

Because I like to eke out my dough rather than use it all at once, I place the dough back in the bowl and cover, with either cling film, a wet tea towel or one of those silicone rolling sheets, and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 1/2 hours. (There's a bit of contention as to whether or not you should oil the bowl the dough rises in. I personally think it's unnecessary and makes washing up afterward more of a hassle than it needs to be.) However, you can divide the dough, roll it into 1/2-inch thick rounds and put it straight onto a well-oiled baking sheet to rise there. So long as it's covered it shan't make too much difference in the end result.

If you're letting it rise in the bowl, however, once the dough has risen to at least twice its original size, set the oven to preheat at 400 F and grease a baking sheet or two (again, you'll want these pretty well-oiled). Flour your counter well, tear off as much of the dough as you want to use and give it a quick knead. Then roll it out so it's about 1/2 inch thick and transfer it to the oiled baking sheet to proof -- I usually leave it, covered, for another half hour.

Once you've got your dough proofing you can start thinking about toppings.

toppings:

Rhubarb and Strawberry (specifically what I used for one round of focaccia):

1 thick stalk of rhubarb
5 large strawberries
1 tsp. sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp. ground all spice (or to taste)
1/4--1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
sugar and all spice for dusting

For the Rhubarb and Strawberry version, I sliced them thickly and left them 'marinating' in a bowl under an evenly distributed layer of sugar and all spice (a teaspoon of each). I used vanilla sugar but brown sugar would work just as nicely to give a caramelised finish once baked.

About ten minutes before the proofing dough is ready, oil the dough evenly. Scatter the fruit as you like; you don't need to make indentations, really, as the weight of the fruit will do that for you as it's baking. Dust the top with sugar and spice, about 1/2 tsp each, then drizzle the honey over top.

 

Herby Tomato and Yellow Pepper (again, ingredients for one):

1 can chopped/plum tomatoes, strained (you only want the juice)
a small handful cherry/baby plum tomatoes
a 2-cm wedge of yellow pepper
1/4--1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. dried oregano (or 1 tsp each dried basil, oregano and rosemary)
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan (optional)
1--2 tsp. coarse sea salt

For the Herby Tomato and Yellow Pepper version, I quartered the tomatoes and sliced the pepper into thin diagonal strips.

About ten minutes before the proofing dough is ready, oil the dough evenly, making slight indentations in the surface with the tips of your fingers. With a pastry brush, very lightly brush the surface with a healthy dose of the strained tomato juice. Scatter the tomato and pepper slices so that some of them sit in the pools of collecting oil, while others rest gently against the surface of the dough -- I'm not sure how this really effects the taste, but I like to believe it makes it that much better. Sprinkle the salt and oregano (and other herbs if using) over the top, remember to crush them between your palms as you go to release the oils; then add the Parmesan if using.

However you go, topped or not, bake for 20--25 minutes, until golden. Cool to room temperature before serving.

This stuff is beyond awesome with soup or a fresh leafy salad and much less of a pain to make than you might think. It's so versatile that you really could top it with just about anything, but even plain with a mere sprinkling of salt is delicious! Highly recommended no matter how you swing it.

Comments

[woolly stuff]

I made the savoury version yesterday, and it turned out really well - I used basil from the window box and I added sundried tomatos. I was really pleased, especially as since I got to London several months ago, I totally lost my ability to cook anything! So that bad cycle hopefully is over now... So, thank you for this great recipe!

[Tanglegirl]

Mmmm. You are an evil woman. I just bought a locally harvested seaweed, salt, and sesame blend that would be amazing on foccacia. You are making me have thoughts.....

[Katie]

Well, guess what I'll be making tonight.