Grilled Focaccia With Tomato Pesto Food

TOMATO AND BASIL PESTO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Put the strong white flour, type 00 flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the water and combine with your hands until the mixture just comes together. Pour in the olive oil, then mix well with your hands to form a loose dough that feels wet and very soft.
• Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead, using a pastry scraper if you have one and using the 'slap and fold' method (see tips), for about 8 minutes. Alternatively, knead for 5 minutes on a medium speed in a stand mixer with a dough attachment fitted.
• Lightly oil a large clean bowl, add the dough, then cover with lightly oiled cling film. Leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours until the dough has doubled in size (see tips).
• Remove the cling film and tip out the risen dough onto a work surface. Knock it back (knead it gently for 5 seconds) - you want to redistribute the air evenly in the dough, not push it out completely. Lift the dough carefully into a 20cm x 30cm high-sided rectangular baking tin. Don't stretch and pull it. Instead, push it to the sides of the tin gently, using your fingertips. It may not reach the edges of the tin but don't worry - it will puff up and fill out as it proves.
• Cover with a clean tea towel and leave somewhere warm for at least an hour to prove, until it has nearly doubled in size. Check the dough is ready by pressing your finger in softly. If the indent stays, you're ready to heat the oven and bake.
• Heat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C fan/gas 7. Snip the cherry tomato vines into small lengths and arrange over the focaccia, pressing them down lightly. Drizzle over a generous amount of olive oil, scatter with sea salt, then bake for 10-15 minutes until nicely golden. Turn down the heat to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and bake for another 20 minutes.
• While the focaccia is baking, make the basil pesto. Either put the basil leaves in a large pestle and mortar, or in a food processor, and pound or whizz until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, stir in enough oil to make a drizzling consistency, then add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Once the focaccia is cooked, remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 minutes. Take out of the tin carefully and put on a cooling rack for 30-40 minutes. Drizzle with basil pesto, then cut or tear into slices to serve - the focaccia is wonderful just warm or at room temperature.

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.

FOCACCIA WITH PESTO & MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Put the flour into a bowl and mix in the salt. Mix the yeast into 325ml tepid water. Add the water and oil to the flour, then mix well with a plastic scraper or your hands. When most of the liquid is incorporated, use your hands to bring all the ingredients together into a ball of dough.
• Tip the dough out onto a worktop lightly dusted with flour and work it by pulling and stretching for at least 10 mins. Try to get as much air into it as possible. Put the ball of worked dough into a well-oiled bowl, cover with a little more oil and a tea towel or cling film. Leave to rest for 1 hr or so in a non-draughty warm spot, until doubled in size.
• Now stretch the dough out onto a baking sheet until it's about 20 x 30cm. Leave the dough to rise again to about half as high again, about 30-40 mins in a warm draught-free place, loosely covered with a tea towel.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. When the dough has risen, press your fingers into it gently to make some holes. Bake for about 15 mins, then remove from the oven. Tear over the mozzarella, then bake for another 5-10 mins until golden and cooked through. Drizzle over the pesto and scatter with sea salt, if you like. Serve straight away.

GRILLED TOMATO WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Hollow out the top 1/4 inch of tomato halves with a spoon.
• Top each tomato half with 2 teaspoons pesto sauce and an onion slice.
• Arrange tomatoes in 2 foil pie pans.
• Place tomatoes in the centre of the grill rack.
• Cover and grill for 8 to 10 minutes or until tomatoes are heated through.
• Stir together the cheese, almonds, if using, and parsley in a small mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle mixture over tomatoes.
• Cover and grill for 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.