Focaccia With Sage Food

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix the yeast into one side of the flour, and the fine salt into the other side. Then mix everything together, this initial seperation prevents the salt from killing the yeast.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tbsp oil and 350-400ml lukewarm water, adding it gradually until you have a slightly sticky dough (you may not need all the water). Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until your dough is soft and less sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Oil a rectangle, shallow tin (25 x 35cm). Tip the dough onto the work surface, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples. Mix together 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp water and the flaky salt and drizzle over the bread. Push sprigs of rosemary into the dimples in the dough.
• Bake for 20 mins until golden. Whilst the bread is still hot, drizzle over 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with extra olive oil, if you like.

SAGE FONTINA FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in honey; let stand for 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup all- purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oil, minced sage and salt. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet; tilt pan to evenly coat. Add dough; shape to fit pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough. For topping, brush dough with 1 teaspoon oil. Top with sage leaves; brush leaves with remaining oil. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400° until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Serve warm.,

RED ONION & ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Make the basic dough, adding 2 tbsp olive oil and only a pinch of salt. While the dough is rising, cook onions in 1 tbsp olive oil for 5 mins until soft, then set aside.
• When the dough has risen, knock it back and stretch it to fit an oiled Swiss roll tin about 25 x 35cm. Leave the dough to prove for about 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Spread the onions over the dough and scatter with the rosemary. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples, drizzle the remaining oil over and scatter over the salt, then bake for 30 mins until golden. Leave to cool, then serve cut or torn into squares.

POTATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest in a warm place for 25 minutes.
• Mix in the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour, until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough adheres to the hook. It should remain soft and slightly sticky. Continue mixing for about 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Remove from the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and put into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour, to let the dough rise until doubled.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook slowly until very crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve the pancetta and fat separately.
• Put the potatoes in cold salted water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook about 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and place in a bowl.
• Pour the pancetta fat over the warm potatoes, add the crisped pancetta, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon zest. Toss well and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a baking sheet.
• Lightly flour the dough and punch it down. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 10 inches. Brush off any excess flour and transfer to the oiled baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the potato mixture onto the dough and press it in with the flat of your hand. Press your fingers into the dough to make evenly spaced indentations all over the surface, being careful not to puncture or tear the dough. Scatter the remaining rosemary over the dough.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and the bread is crisp on the bottom. Let cool in the pan to room temperature. Cut into squares, "fingers," or triangles to serve.

SAGE FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast, salt, and warm water.
• Mix in the flour, starting with 2 cups, and then adding the rest, until a sticky, shaggy dough forms.
• Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for about 1 hour, until at least doubled in size and very bubbly. Preheat oven to 400F while it is rising.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the focaccia dough onto the lined baking sheet and gently spread it out with your fingers into a large rectange or oval.
• Dipping your fingers in the olive oil, make dimples over the top of the bread, and top with a bit more flaky salt. Note: don't be shy with the olive oil, it gives the bread great flavor and creates a crunchy crust.
• Gently press the fresh sage leaves on top of the bread.
• Bake for about 25 minutes until puffed and starting to turn golden.

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and 300ml/10½fl oz of the water into a large bowl. Gently stir with your hand or a wooden spoon to form a dough, then knead the dough in the bowl for five minutes, gradually adding the remaining water.
• Stretch the dough by hand in the bowl, tuck the sides into the centre, turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process for about five minutes.
• Tip the dough onto an oiled work surface and continue kneading for five more minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size.
• Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Tip the dough out of the bowl and flatten the dough onto the prepared tray, pushing to the corners, cover with a large plastic bag, making sure it does not touch the top of the dough, then leave to prove for one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Drizzle the loaves with oil, sprinkle with fine sea salt then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. When cooked, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve hot or warm.

RED ONION & SAGE FOCACCIA (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Pour the water and oil into the bread pan.
• Reverse the order in which you add the wet and dry ingredients if necessary.
• Sprinkle the flour over, ensuring that it covers the liquid.
• Add the salt and sugar in separate corners.
• Make a shallow indentation in the flour and add the yeast.
• Set the bread machine to the dough setting.
• If our machine has a choice of settings, use the basic or pizza dough setting.
• Press Start.
• Lightly oil a 10-11 inch shallow round cake pan or pizza pan.
• When the cycle has finished, remove the dough from the pan and place it on a surface lightly dusted with flour.
• Punch the dough down and flatten it slightly.
• Sprinkle over the sage and red onion and knead it gently to incorporate.
• Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it, then roll it into a round of about 10-11 inches.
• Place in the prepared pan.
• Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F Uncover the risen focaccia, and using your fingertips, poke the dough to make deep dimples over the surface.
• Cover and let rise for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in bulk.
• Drizzle the olive oil over and sprinkle with the onion, sage leaves, sea salt and black pepper.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
• Turn out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.
• Serve warm.

FOCACCIA WITH SAGE

Steps:

• FOR SPONGE:
• Place 1/2 cup water in large bowl. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture is cloudy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour. Cover with plastic. Let stand until very bubbly, about 45 minutes or less
• FOR FOCACCIA:
• Place 1 cup water in small bowl. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture is cloudy, about 10 minutes. Stir dissolved yeast mixture and 1/4 cup olive oil into sponge in large bowl. Stir in 1 cup flour. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped sage and 2 teaspoons salt. Add remaining flour in 2 batches, mixing until well blended after each addition. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough until soft and velvety, about 10 minutes.
• Oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic. Let dough rise in warm area until doubled, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Oil 11x17-inch baking sheet. Punch down dough. Transfer to prepared sheet. Using oiled hands, press out dough to cover bottom of pan. Cover dough with kitchen towel. Let stand 10 minutes (dough will shrink).
• Press out dough again to cover pan. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, position rack in center of oven. Place baking stone on rack and preheat oven to 425°F. (Baking stones are available at cookware stores. Unglazed quarry tiles, available at tile stores and some building supply stores, can also be used. If unavailable, heat another baking sheet in oven 10 minutes).
• Using fingertips, press dough all over, creating dimples. Drizzle dough with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sage and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Place pan directly on pizza stone. Spray oven with water from spray bottle. Bake until focaccia is golden and top is crisp, spraying oven with water twice more during first 10 minutes, about 25 minutes total. Transfer bread to rack. Cool slightly. Serve bread warm or at room temperature.

FOCACCIA WITH MIXED HERBS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water and set aside until bubbly about 10-15 minutes.
• In a food processor, combine flour, salt, 1 T. olive oil, and yeast mixture, processing until dough pulls away from the sides to form a ball.
• Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Place a little olive oil in a bowl, place dough in the bowl, give it a twist, turn the ball over to coat the other side, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
• Punch dough down. Transfer to a floured surface and stretch dough to fit a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch pan. Lightly grease the pan, transfer dough to the pan, and stretch as needed to fit. Using your fingertips make "dimples" across the top of the dough.
• Brush remaining olive oil over the top of the dough, sprinkle with desired amount of each herb, a few crushed red pepper flakes, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Allow to rise uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
• Cut as desired.