by Mike Filigenzi » Fri Sep 29, 2006 12:41 am
Bob -
This is the Focaccia Genovese recipe from The Italian Baker, by Carol Field (an excellent book, IMO).
I'll give you the "by hand" method. She also has methods for mixers and food processors. I've made this a bunch of times and it's always been great. Have a spray bottle of water on hand for baking.
Makes enough for three 9" or 10" rounds.
2 1/2 t. (1 package) of active dry yeast or 1 small cake (18 g.) of fresh
1/4 c. warm water
2 1/4 c. plus 1 to 2 T. water, room temp
2 T. olive oil
About 7 1/2 c. (1000 g.) unbleached all-purpose flour or half all-purpose flour, half bread flour
1 T. (15 g.) fine sea salt or table salt
Stir the yeast into the warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand until creamy, about 10 min. Stir in 2 1/4 c. plus 1 T. water and the oil. Add 2 c. of the flour and the salt and whisk or stir until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour, 1 c. at a time, until the dough comes together. Knead on a floured surface until velvety and soft, about 8-10 min.
First Rise:
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Shaping and Second Rise:
For round focacce, cut the dough into 3 equal pieces on a lightly floured surface. Shape each piece into a thick disk; roll out each disk to a 9 or 10 inch circle and place in the bottom of an oiled 9 or 10 inch pie pan. For rectangular foccace, cut the dough in half and shape to fit 2 oiled 10 1/2 x 15 1/5 inch pans. Cover the dough with towels and let rise for 30 minutes.
Dimpling and 3rd Rise:
Dimple the dough vigorously with your fingertips leaving indentations as deep as 1/2 inch. The bakers of Genoa do this to trap little pools of oil and salt that flavor the surface. Cover the tops with moist towels and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.
Topping:
(The book has several topping recipes, including fresh sage, olives, and gorgonzola. For the simplest, brush with 2-3 T. of olive oil and sprinkle on the coarse sea salt.)
Baking:
Heat the oven to 400°. Use baking stones if you have them (making sure to heat them for at least a half hour) and place the pans directly on the heated stones. Bake 20 - 25 minutes, spraying with water 3 times in the first ten minutes; immediately invert the focacce onto racks to cool so that the bottom crusts don't get soggy.
Eat warm or at room temp., preferably on the day they're made. Don't refrigerate them - they just won't taste the same.
Mike
"People who love to eat are always the best people"
- Julia Child
