Mamas Famous Focaccia With Optional Gorgonzola Topping Food

FOCACCIA WITH SWEET ONION AND CAPER TOPPING

Steps:

• Mix the focaccia dough as directed and set in a warm spot to rise.
• Meanwhile, prepare the onion filling. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the capers, thyme and garlic, and turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer gently, stirring often, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the onions have cooked down and are very soft and lightly colored but not browned. They should taste sweet. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
• When the focaccia dough has risen, shape as directed into 1 large focaccia or 2 smaller focacce. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably with a baking stone in it.
• Dimple the dough with your fingertips and spread the onion mixture over the top in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake, setting the pan on top of the baking stone (if using), for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown and bits of the onion topping are browned. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely.

HERBED FLATBREAD (FOCACCIA) 4 WAYS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Stir yeast packet into water and allow yeast to bloom. (A light foam should appear on top of the water after about 5 minutes. This means the yeast is alive and active.)
• Add olive oil to water and mix.
• In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, and herbs together.
• Once incorporated, create a small well in the middle and pour in the water/yeast/oil mixture.
• Mix by hand, wetting your working hand before mixing so the dough doesn't stick to your fingers. The water and flour should come together and form a rough dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• NOTE: If the dough is too sticky, add more flour in small increments, about 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Once the dough begins to come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball.
• Coat the bowl the dough was initially mixed in with about a tablespoon of olive oil and place the dough ball inside. Give it a few turns to coat the dough in the oil.
• Cover and let the dough rise until it doubles in size about 1 hour.
• While the dough rises, prepare a large baking sheet by generously coating it with olive oil.
• Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten it out into a large rectangle.
• Using a knife or dough scraper, cut the dough into 4 evenly sized rectangles.
• Press the rectangles flat and arrange them with each one pressed into a corner of the baking sheet.
• Cover and let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C) while the dough is resting.
• Depending on the temperature of your kitchen and activeness of the yeast, the 4 rectangles should have risen to be about an 1-inch (2 ½ cm) thick.
• Using your fingers, poke the the dough all over--creating small dimples across the surface.
• Generously coat the tops of the dough rectangles one last time with olive oil (some oil will pool inside of the divots we made with our fingers. That's ok!) Use a basting brush to ensure all of the dough gets covered with olive oil.
• Top the dough rectangles with your choice of toppings. (We did four different combinations, including tomatoes with fresh rosemary, caramelized onions and parmesan cheese, mixed olive with gorgonzola cheese, and 3-cheese using parmesan, mozzarella, and gorgonzola.)
• Once finished with the toppings, liberally sprinkle the breads with a coarse salt.
• Bake at 450˚F (230˚C) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
• Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into equal pieces.
• Enjoy!