navigator9
Well-Known Member
I've been drooling while looking at the bread recipes here, and thinking about making some focaccia, so I thought I'd share my recipe with you. I took a basic focaccia recipe and made it my own. It is unbelievably good, if I say so myself! You can slice it horizontally and use it for sandwiches, or just eat it like that. And if you make a double batch, you can use one for the best croutons I've ever tasted. Here you go. I have to confess I ate the croutons out of the bag, they never made it to a salad. 
Basic Herb Focaccia
3 T olive oil, plus more for brushing (I use the oil that the sun dried tomatoes are packed in....yummy)
1 C (packed) minced yellow onion
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 C finely chopped fresh basil
2 t minced fresh rosemary (instead of the fresh basil and rosemary, I use the dried mixed Italian herbs or even herbs de Provence, just because I always have those on hand)
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
freshly ground pepper
some sun dried tomatoes, in small pieces (I probably use about 1/3 cup, maybe a bit more, because I love sun dried tomatoes)
1 1/2 C lukewarm water
1 C lukewarm milk
1 scant T salt
2 t plus a pinch of sugar
1 pkg dry yeast
about 6 C flour
cornmeal for dusting
Coarse salt for sprinkling
1/4 C ice water
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over moderate heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, reduce the heat to low and cook until softened and fragrant, about three minutes. Add the herbs and a generous amount of pepper and cook for one minute. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in one cup of the water, then the milk, table salt and 2 t sugar.
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and the pinch of sugar in the remaining 1/2 cup lukewarm water until creamy and starting to bubble. (about 5 minutes) Add to the onion mixture. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, just until the dough becomes too stiff to stir.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead in only as much additional flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Knead the dough until smooth, supple and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Generously grease a clean large bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel. Set aside in a warm, draft free spot until doubled in bulk. This will take about an hour or an hour and a half. Punch down the dough. Re-cover and let rise again, til doubled, about 1/2 to one hour.
Brush olive oil over a cookie sheet, and sprinkle some cornmeal over the surface. (don't skimp on the cornmeal, it creates a wonderful crunch!) Tap off the excess.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a cornmeal dusted work surface. Turn the dough over and over to coat lightly with cornmeal and shape into a rough rectangle. Lift the dough and place on the prepared pan. Gently pull, push and pat the dough so it fills the baking sheet (roughly 17x13 inches) Let the dough rise uncovered in a draft free spot until billowy, about 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and position a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
Push your fingers into the dough to make deep indentations all over the surface. Brush lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place the baking sheet in the oven, toss the ice water on the oven floor and bake for about 30 minutes or until a deep golden color. Slide the focaccia out onto a large rack to cool. Cut into squares with a serrated knife. Enjoy!
basic focaccia.jpg
Basic Herb Focaccia
3 T olive oil, plus more for brushing (I use the oil that the sun dried tomatoes are packed in....yummy)
1 C (packed) minced yellow onion
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 C finely chopped fresh basil
2 t minced fresh rosemary (instead of the fresh basil and rosemary, I use the dried mixed Italian herbs or even herbs de Provence, just because I always have those on hand)
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
freshly ground pepper
some sun dried tomatoes, in small pieces (I probably use about 1/3 cup, maybe a bit more, because I love sun dried tomatoes)
1 1/2 C lukewarm water
1 C lukewarm milk
1 scant T salt
2 t plus a pinch of sugar
1 pkg dry yeast
about 6 C flour
cornmeal for dusting
Coarse salt for sprinkling
1/4 C ice water
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over moderate heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, reduce the heat to low and cook until softened and fragrant, about three minutes. Add the herbs and a generous amount of pepper and cook for one minute. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in one cup of the water, then the milk, table salt and 2 t sugar.
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and the pinch of sugar in the remaining 1/2 cup lukewarm water until creamy and starting to bubble. (about 5 minutes) Add to the onion mixture. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, just until the dough becomes too stiff to stir.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead in only as much additional flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Knead the dough until smooth, supple and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Generously grease a clean large bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel. Set aside in a warm, draft free spot until doubled in bulk. This will take about an hour or an hour and a half. Punch down the dough. Re-cover and let rise again, til doubled, about 1/2 to one hour.
Brush olive oil over a cookie sheet, and sprinkle some cornmeal over the surface. (don't skimp on the cornmeal, it creates a wonderful crunch!) Tap off the excess.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a cornmeal dusted work surface. Turn the dough over and over to coat lightly with cornmeal and shape into a rough rectangle. Lift the dough and place on the prepared pan. Gently pull, push and pat the dough so it fills the baking sheet (roughly 17x13 inches) Let the dough rise uncovered in a draft free spot until billowy, about 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and position a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
Push your fingers into the dough to make deep indentations all over the surface. Brush lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place the baking sheet in the oven, toss the ice water on the oven floor and bake for about 30 minutes or until a deep golden color. Slide the focaccia out onto a large rack to cool. Cut into squares with a serrated knife. Enjoy!
basic focaccia.jpg
