Fugazza Food

FUGAZZA

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast with sugar over milk and water in a small bowl and proof until foamy, about 10-15 minutes.
• Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the center and add yeast mixture.
• Blend flour into yeast mixture and knead about 15 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Oil large bowl.
• Add dough, turning to coat.
• Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free area until double in size.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Oil 15 inch pizza pan.
• Roll dough out on lightly-floured surface to 13-14 inch round, ½ inch thick.
• Fit dough into pan.
• Spread with onion, leaving ½ inch border at edges.
• Cover onion with cheese and sprinkle with oregano, crumbling oregano between fingers.
• Bake until golden-brown, about 15-20 minutes.

FUGAZZA (ARGENTINIAN FOCACCIA) RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the warm water (100 F to 105 F) in a small bowl. Stir the sugar into the water and sprinkle over the yeast. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly.
• Place the flour, 5 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix briefly using the dough hook.
• Add the yeast mixture and begin to knead the dough with the dough hook. The mixture should come together as a soft, stretchy dough, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add a bit more flour if the mixture is too wet, and add a bit more water if the mixture seems dry, crumbly, or overly firm. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic.
• Coat a bowl with about 1 tablespoon of oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• While the dough is rising, peel the onion and slice it into very thin strips. Place in a bowl of cold salted water and soak for 30 minutes.
• Drain the onions well and dry them with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 450 F. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and shape it into a smooth ball.
• Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a 14-inch pizza pan with 1-inch sides. Place the ball of dough in the middle of the pan and flatten gently with your fingers. Let the dough relax for 10 minutes.
• Continue to flatten the dough while pushing it toward the sides of the pan, letting it relax in between stretching, until the dough covers the bottom of the pan.
• Sprinkle the onions over the top of the dough. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the onions and sprinkle with the dried oregano.
• Bake the fugazza for 20 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden brown. You can brown the onions under the broiler for the last 3 minutes of cooking if they aren't browned enough.
• If desired, remove the fugazza from the oven and top with thin slices of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Return to the oven and bake until the fugazza is golden brown and crispy around the edges, about 5 more minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cut into slices to serve.

FUGASSA BREAD

Steps:

• Cook oil, onions and peppers slowly in a large skillet over medium-low heat until the onions are transparent. When you cook onions and peppers slowly, the natural sugars caramelize, and they become quite sweet. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, stir yeast into warm water to soften. Add salt, sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 cup cheese, and the cooled peppers. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
• Gradually add flour, a little at a time, until you have a dough stiff enough to knead. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto work surface. Knead in the remaining 1 cup cheese, leaving large streaks of the cheese visible. The streaks will toast and add an attractive look to the bread, not to mention a marvelous flavor.
• Shape the dough into a ball. Flatten the top slightly, and place on a well-greased baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
• Just before baking, brush the tops of the loaves with cold water and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired. Slit the loaf in three places, about 1/2-inch deep, across the top.
• For added crispness, steam should be added to the oven for the first 10 minutes of baking. I put 2 cups of ice cubes directly on the floor of my oven. By the time they have melted and evaporated the 10 minutes is usually up. Since some people have trouble working with this theory, you can also put a pan of boiling water on the bottom shelf of the oven and remove it after the first 10 minutes of baking. Just be sure to work quickly to prevent loss of oven heat.
• Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 30 minutes, or until done. Immediately remove bread from baking sheet and cool on a rack. Makes 1 large loaf.