Focaccia [foh-KAH-chuh] -- an Italian yeast bread, similar to deep-dish pizza crust with a breadlike texture. The bread is usually topped with onions, herbs, olives and cheese and served warm as a snack or as a side dish.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 Tbs. sugar
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. sweet butter
6-1/2 cups flour
1 Tbs. salt
Preparation:
Heat the water in the microwave on high for 45 seconds. Using a standard mixer, combine water, sugar and yeast. Let this mixture stand and proof (process of allowing a yeast dough to rise before baking) for 10 minutes, until it gets foamy and soupy. Add oil, butter, flour and salt (add the flour slowly -- a little at a time). Watch the dough: when it pulls away from the side of the bowl, change the mixer beater to the dough hook. Make sure to scrape the beater.
Mix with the dough hook until the dough comes together, and gets soft and very smooth. Remove and place in an oiled bowl (lightly coated with olive oil); cover with plastic wrap, then a towel. Refrigerate overnight. The secret to great-tasting dough: the slower the rise, the better the flavor.
Remove from the refrigerator in the morning and let it stand for 5 to 7 hours. Now you are ready to roll it out and shape it in a paper-lined baking pan (approximately 11" by 14"). Cover and let rise for one hour (but no longer or it will overproof). Using your fingers, make dimples over the dough; this helps to hold the olive oil. Using a fork, make holes over the dough. This will help it rise evenly.
Topping Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil to taste (approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
1 medium white onion, sliced thin
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Hot red-pepper flakes, to taste
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt to taste
Preparation: Apply toppings to taste. Then bake in a preheated 450-degree oven, on the lowest rack, for 12 minutes. You need to spritz with water when you place the focaccia in the oven and then about every 3 to 4 minutes.
Yield: approximately 16 servings
Chef's Note: You can use this same dough recipe to make French baguettes: just omit the butter and oil. Bake for 6 minutes on each side in a 400-degree oven, and then bake for another 10 minutes; remove from the oven and let cool. We at DIY believe all of the recipes from All in Good Taste are accurate and reliable, but since we have not tested them personally, we can claim no responsibility if the desired results are not achieved.
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