Tommorow's foccacia

This is my foccacia recipe that I have been using for years. It has never failed me. Lately in my house we have been baking foccacia at night for dinner and snacking all throughout the next day. By mid-afternoon, I am pitching another batch of dough.

It is a great vehicle for any sort of toppings. Here are some of my favorite:

black olive, dill, goat cheese

asiago cheese, sundried tomato paste, pesto

roasted red grapes, rosemary, pecorino romano

You see that the possiblities are endless. But the recipe is like a familiar old song. It always makes me happy. And it feeds me...

2 1/2 cups of tepid (hot, but not too hot to touch) water
2 packets (2 T appx) instant yeast

Put yeast in water. Toss a pinch of sugar in the mix, after the yeast has been well incorperated. Lets it know you care, and kick starts the whole rising show.

Seperately, combine the following dry ingredients in a seperate bowl:

5 1/2 cups King arthur AP flour
1 T Kosher Salt
1 T Corse ground sea salt
2 T Medium ground fresh black pepper

Also, in a small stove pot, simmer these three things together;

1 cup Olive oil
2 T Rosemary
1 clove Whole crushed garlic

After it cools down to room temperature, add half of it to your yeast starter. It's nice to have a bunch of herb oil around. It's convienient at this point in the bread making process. But, sometimes, I want to push along the rise a bit so I like using the warm oil. Its nice for the bread. Save the garlic clove. It makes a nice garnish for later when you serve the bread.

Then, incorperate the yeast starter into the dry ingredients in thirds, incorperating
fully each time. Throw some flour onto a table, and turn out your somewhat sticky, but together and substantial ball of dough. Add enough flour just to make it feasible to work, adding a little as you go until you reach a nice point. Work it around, kneading, punching, rolling, and folding for about 10 min. At that point, you will want to form the dough into a ball, pinching the bottom of it closed with the palms up and hands brought together underneath, and scoop it up and into a well oiled bowl. You can use the reserved herb oil for this task. After the transfer, coat the top of the bread with a nice amount of oil. This is great for everything, the rise, your crust, everything. Foccacia is ALL about the oil. This is comfort food, but the olive oil is great for you. Its a great way to jazz up meals around the house, and since it's flatbread, it satisfies with texture, so we don't eat as much as we would other loaves. It's like the croustini with rouille in the bouillabaise. it's a vehicle, not a meal. Although, this is the secret power of foccacia as well, it can be a meal. It can make a sandwich a statement as well.

Cover your rising bread with a towel and let it come up for about 45 min. At that point, you can punch it down and transfer onto a well oiled small baking sheet with a rim, about 20 x 16. You can use a cookie sheet, whatever. It's a versitile dough.

Spread the bread out with your fingers spread out and somewhat stiff like you were stomping chords on a grand piano, pushing down into the dough and spreading it outward in the same motion. Brush some fresh oil on the top again, and let it come up again about 45 min. Pre-heat your oven to 450. Bake off your loaf with whatever toppings you'd like. It helps to lightly toss your vegetables or whatever with olive oil, so they'll brown nicely. a spritzer is cool for this.

I usually end up baking mine for about 15 minutes. But you'll find out, bread is done when it's done. Your oven is special.

Just like you.

Serve your foccacia with some oil in a bowl, and fresh salt and pepper. A little aged balsamico never hurt anyone either.

And welcome to my house. As they say, you know how we do.

And know, you know how to do it. Fresh bread is that easy.

If someone needs, I have a great recipe for gluten free foccacia. Just get in touch and I would be happy to share my secrets with you!

Love,

Tenzo