Focaccia With Tomato Cheese Food

TOMATO-HERB FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 tablespoon oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, herbs, pepper and 1-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 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 10 minutes. Shape into a 13-in. x 9-in. rectangle; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough., Brush dough with remaining oil; arrange tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Freeze option: Freeze cooled focaccia squares in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, reheat squares on a baking sheet in a preheated 400° oven until heated through.

FOCACCIA WITH FRESH TOMATOES

Steps:

• To make the sponge, place the yeast and water into a medium sized bowl, and stir to dissolve yeast. Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or your hands for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth, and a somewhat elastic dough has formed. The starter will be thick and stretchy.
• Scrape the starter into a clear container with high sides and cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise.
• At this point you have two options. If you plan to make the dough later the same day, let the sponge rise at room temperature until it has risen to the point where it just begins to indent on top. This may take 6 to 8 hours. It will triple in volume and very small dents and folds will begin to appear in the top of the surface as it reaches its peak and begins to deflate. Make sure to use it before it sinks too much.
• If you are not planning to make the dough until the next day, let the sponge rise for 1 hour after mixing, then place it in the refrigerator and let it rise for at least 14 hours before taking it out to use. Be sure to compensate for the cold temperature of the starter by using warm water in the dough, or let it sit out, covered, until it reaches room temperature.
• To make the dough, place the yeast and water in a large bowl. Stir the yeast so it dissolves, and allow to stand for 1 minute.
• Add the sponge to the yeast mixture, and mix with your hands for 1 minute to break up the sponge. The mixture should be foamy. Add the flour and mix it in with your hands, lifting the wet mixture over the flour to incorporate it. Once the dough becomes a shaggy mass, knead in the bowl for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Add the salt to the dough and knead briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the oil and milk, and knead gently until all the liquid has been incorporated.
• Move the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until it begins to become smooth, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky, so keep the work surface lightly floured.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn the dough to coat it, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until almost double in size, approximately 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• When the dough has risen, loosen it from the bowl with lightly floured hands, and pour it onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces, about 5 1/4 ounces each. Shape the dough into balls and place on the baking sheet approximately 4 inches apart. Brush each piece with olive oil, and press down gently so the bread is more like a disk than a roll. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has almost doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the slices of tomatoes in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes in a decorative fashion on the dough. With your finger tips, press down on the dough in a few places, making impressions where olive oil can gather. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil, allowing it to pool in the dimples. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven, mist the loaves with water from a spray bottle, shut the oven door, and continue to bake. Mist again one minute later.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer, or until golden brown and crusty.
• Remove the focaccia from the oven immediately, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with fresh herbs such as basil if desired. Let cool on a cooling rack.

HERBED FOCACCIA STUFFED WITH TOMATO AND PROVOLONE CHEESE

Steps:

• Oil lightly a well-seasoned 12 inch cast-iron skillet with vegetable oil and sprinkle bottom with cornmeal.
• In a large bowl, proof yeast in ½ cup lukewarm water and ½ tsp sugar for 15 minutes, or until foamy.
• Add 2 cups of flour, salt, herbs, ¾ cup olive oil and 1 ½ cups lukewarm water and stir until combined well.
• Stir in 4 cups flour and gather dough into a ball.
• Knead dough on a floured surface, adding more of remaining flour if necessary, for 15-20 minutes, or until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky.
• Form into a ball, put in an oiled bowl and turn to coat.
• Let dough rise, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in a warm place, for 45 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
• Punch dough down.
• Knead lightly and halve.
• In skillet, flatten and stretch half the dough to cover bottom completely.
• With fingertips, dimple the dough in places 2 inches apart.
• Brush with 1 tblsp oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Arrange ¾ of the provolone, overlapping and leaving a ½ inch border; layer ¾s of plum tomatoes and top with remaining provolone.
• On a flat surface, flatten and stretch remaining dough to fit skillet.
• Lay over filling and press edges together firmly to enclose filling.
• Make dimples in the dough in the same manner as before, brush with 2 tblsps oil, and sprinkle with more coarse salt.
• Arrange remaining plum tomatoes and cherry tomatoes decoratively on dough.
• Brush with 1 tblsp oil.
• Let dough rise, covered with dampened kitchen towel, in a warm place, for 30 minutes.
• Bake in upper third of a preheated 400F oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden-brown around edge, and let cool in skillet for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

CHERRY TOMATO & BASIL FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. In a large bowl, combine canola oil, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a 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 45 minutes., Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan two-thirds with water; bring to a boil. Cut a shallow "X" on the bottom of each tomato. Using a slotted spoon, place tomatoes, a cup at a time, in boiling water for 30 seconds or just until skin at the "X" begins to loosen., Remove tomatoes and immediately drop into ice water. Pull off and discard skins. Place tomatoes in a small bowl; drizzle with oil., Preheat oven to 425°. Sprinkle 2 greased baking sheets with cornmeal; set aside. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a 12x8-in. rectangle and place on prepared baking sheets., Using fingertips, press several dimples into dough. Pour tomato mixture over dough; sprinkle with basil, coarse salt and pepper. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Bake until golden brown, 15-18 minutes.

FOCACCIA WITH TOMATO & CHEESE

Steps:

• DOUGH SETTING Special instructions: If dough is too sticky because of oil; add
• up to 1/2 cup flour by Tablespoons until you reach the correct consistency.
• After the dough has completed the first rising,remove from b/m and punch down.
• Cover on lightly floured board and allow to rest 5-10 minutes.
• Spray a 9x13x2 pan with Pam, or brush with olive oil.
• Briefly knead dough and spread i nto pan, using hands to achieve a "bumpy texture".
• Form a low ridge around the edge of the dough.
• Push dough into corners.
• The bumps and ridge will allow the topping to stay in place. Brush surface with olive oil.
• You can cover and allow to rise, and bake at this stage, or continue on for Tomato & Cheese topping.
• TOPPING: Combine tomato paste and spaghetti sauce. Spread on dough.
• Combine remaining ingredients.
• Spread evenly over sauce. Press gently into dough.
• Cover & allow to rise until doubled.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Bake 25 minutes.
• Slide out of pan onto cutting board.
• Cut into small pieces for appetizers or large wedges for dinner.
• This bread rose almost to the top of the 2" pan.
• It could be sliced in half for sandwich bread.