Black Pepper Focaccia Food

BLACK PEPPER FOCACCIA RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Add warm water and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Stir to combine.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let it sit until the mixture has bloomed and looks foamy , 5 to 10 minutes.
• Sift the 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour together into a large bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper.
• Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the stand mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until combined. Gradually add the sifted flours to the stand mixer a bit at a time, making sure the mixture is well combined before adding more.
• Once all the flour is added, continue mixing the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky and isn't pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
• Remove dough from the bowl, and use your hands to shape it into a ball.
• Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough ball, tossing it in the bowl to coat. Cover with a clean, damp towel, and transfer to a warm place. Let it rise for 60 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F. To a round, 10-inch cake pan, add 3 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix until combined (this should be a sludge-type mixture which prevents the dough from sticking to the pan and essentially fries the bottom, creating a crispy texture). Spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of the pan.
• Add the dough ball to the pan and spread evenly to the edges. Cover, and let rise until visibly puffed, about 30 minutes.
• Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons oil on top of the dough. Use your fingers to create deep wells over the surface of the dough.
• Top with remaining 1 teaspoon flaky salt and 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper.
• Bake until golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the pan and serving.

BLACK PEPPER FOCACCIA BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl mix together hot water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for a few minutes to let it start activating.
• 2. In a medium bowl mix together, flour, powdered milk, salt and pepper.
• 3. Pour olive oil in bread machine pan then liquid mix then flour mix. Set machine to "Dough Only" cycle. Check after a few minutes and scrape inside of pan to make sure all flour gets incorporated.
• 4. I like to "warm" my pan/pans in my oven using the oven light while the bread dough does it's thing. I add a generous amount of cooking oil or olive oil to the bottom of the pan and coat it well then put it in the oven until needed, (no heat).
• 5. You can use a 9x13 pan or two loaf pans. Once dough has finished the cycle and risen, place into pan(s). Place back in the oven with light on, cover and allow to rise to double in size. Remove pans, preheat oven to 400º. Spray tops of bread with spray oil and sprinkle on Coarse sea salt. Place bread in oven and bake 23 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

PARMESAN AND BLACK PEPPER WHOLE-WHEAT FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the water and yeast and let sit for 20 to 30 seconds to allow the yeast to dissolve and activate.
• Dump the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and the sugar onto the water and carefully turn the mixer on low.
• Let the dough mix for about 30 seconds (to prevent the flour from flying out of the bowl, turn the mixer on and off several times until the flour is mixed into the liquid and then keep it on low).
• When the dough is still shaggy looking, drizzle in 3/4 cup of the olive oil, aiming it along the side of the bowl to keep it from splashing and making a mess.
• With the mixer still on low, knead the dough for 4-5 minutes, or until it is smooth and supple.
• The dough should be somewhat sticky but still smooth and have an elastic, stretchy consistency.
• If it is much stiffer than this, mix in a few tablespoons water; if it is much looser than this, mix in a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
• **Alternatively, combine the water and yeast in a large bowl, and then add the other ingredients as directed and mix with a wooden spoon; once the oil is incorporated, dump out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes, or until smooth and supple**.
• Lightly oil a large bowl; transfer the dough to the oiled bowl, and turn the dough to coat it with the oil.
• Cover the bowl with an oiled piece of plastic wrap or a lint-free damp cloth.
• Place the bowl in a draft-free, warm place (72 to 82 degrees F is ideal; an area near the stove or in the oven with only the pilot light on is good) for 2-3 hours.
• The dough should rise until it is about double in bulk.
• Once the dough has risen, flour your hands and your work surface and turn the dough out of the bowl.
• Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle about 10 by 15 inches.
• Sprinkle the cornmeal onto a baking sheet to keep the dough from sticking and place the dough rectangle on the sheet.
• Generously flour the top of the dough, and then cover it loosely but completely with a piece of plastic wrap or lint-free damp cloth.
• Place in a warm area for another hour or so, or until the dough rises a bit and gets puffy and pillowy.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat oven to 425°.
• When the dough is ready, remove the plastic wrap and dimple the dough all over, using all ten fingers and firmly poking straight down into the dough all the way to the bottom.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top, drizzle evenly the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and then sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until completely golden brown on top and bottom.
• Lift the dough and make sure the underside is browned before pulling it out of the oven, or you will end up with soggy focaccia.
• Let cool on the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, or until cool enough to handle, then cut into serving pieces.
• The focaccia will keep in a closed paper bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, or tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• If frozen, thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours and refresh in a 300° oven for 5 minutes, or refresh, directly from the freezer in a 300° oven for 12-15 minutes.