Norma Koskis Tofu Tomato Focaccia Food

FOCACCIA WITH ROSEMARY AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• For the dough: Fill a small bowl with hot tap water. Let the water sit in the bowl for 2 minutes to warm the bowl, then dump it out. In the warmed bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, 1 tablespoon of the flour and 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F). Let stand about 5 minutes. (The mixture will be creamy and slightly bubbly; if it isn't, start over with new yeast.)
• In a large bowl, mix together the kosher salt and remaining 2 1/2 cups flour. Make a well in the center and stir in the yeast mixture, olive oil and 3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F) with a wooden spoon. Mix until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl (it will be sticky). If the dough looks dry, add an additional 2 tablespoons warm water. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead with floured hands until soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form into a ball. (If using a stand mixer, mix on medium speed until soft and elastic, 4 to 7 minutes.) Brush another large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough and roll to coat with the oil. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Stretch the dough into the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the topping: Use your fingertips to dimple the dough. Brush with the oil, top with the sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
• Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the baking dish and allow to cool slightly before slicing into squares. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and more flaky sea salt.

NORMA KOSKI'S TOFU TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Place tofu on a double-thick layer of paper towels on a plate; cover with another double-thick layer. Weigh tofu down with a can; let drain for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sautéfor 1 minute, until golden. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until boiling. Stir in the purée, nutritional yeast, syrup and herbs; season with salt and pepper. Let simmer gently while making the pesto.
• For the pesto: combine the spinach, yeast, sunflower seeds, garlic and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, pour in the oil through the feed tube. Process, using the pulse motion if the spinach isn't moving down on its own, until puréed. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the tofu into four 1 1/84-inch-thick squares. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the tofu on both sides. Brush each piece on both sides with tamari sauce and sprinkle each with nutritional yeast. Set aside.
• Cut the focaccia into four squares and cut each piece in half crosswise. Spread the cut side of the bottom pieces with a thin layer of tomato sauce and place a piece of tofu on top of each. Spread the tofu with a thin layer of tomato sauce, and sprinkle with soy-Parmesan cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush the cut side of each top piece with pesto. Place one piece, pesto side down, over each tofu focaccia square. Bake again, until the tops are crispy, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately.

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.

BASIL-PARMESAN FOCACCIA WITH FRESH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place the chopped onion in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. After 15 seconds, drain and blot dry with paper towels. Set aside.
• Combine the yeast with the half-cup of water. Add one and a half cups of the flour and mix. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and knead it for about eight minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Pour one tablespoon of the olive oil in a bowl, add the dough, turning once to cover with the oil. Drape a lightly dampened towel over the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk. This will take one and a half hours with rapid-rise yeast, or three hours with regular yeast.
• Punch down the dough, add the onion, a quarter-cup of water, three tablespoons of olive oil, the cup of Parmesan cheese, the remaining flour, the basil and two teaspoons salt, and mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it for eight minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of additional flour if needed.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Roll the dough into a large circle measuring about 15 inches in diameter and about a quarter-inch thick, and transfer it to a heavy cookie sheet. Using your fingertips, make several indentations in the dough, so the surface is irregular. Brush with two tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle on two teaspoons of coarse salt. Bake in the top half of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown and crisp. (You may prepare the recipe ahead to this point, but leave the baked focaccia at room temperature.)
• To prepare the topping, combine the olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Lay the sliced tomatoes in an overlapping pattern on the focaccia and spoon the olive-oil mixture over them. Return the focaccia to the oven for two minutes. Sprinkle with three tablespoons of Parmesan and return the focaccia to the oven just until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about one to two minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into large slices. Serve.

CRISPY TOFU WITH BALSAMIC TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Arrange tofu slices on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels. Cover with another kitchen towel (or paper towels) and place a flat cutting board or baking pan on top. If your cutting board or pan is lightweight, stack a few cans or a skillet on top to weigh it down. Let tofu drain for at least 15 minutes, and up to 45 minutes.
• Transfer tofu to a cutting board and cut slabs into 1-inch cubes. Pat them dry with paper towels and season both sides of the tofu with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon oil, cornstarch, garlic powder (if using) and 1/2 teaspoon of the oregano. Add tofu to cornstarch mixture and gently toss until tofu is evenly coated. Dump tofu onto one side of the prepared sheet pan.
• In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil, tossing to combine.
• Arrange vegetables on other side of the prepared sheet pan. Bake until tofu is crisp and golden brown, and tomatoes are condensed, 25 to 35 minutes. Halfway through baking, flip tofu and toss vegetables while keeping the tofu and veggies separate.
• To serve, sprinkle cilantro on top and drizzle with balsamic and oil, if you'd like.

FOCACCIA WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND GREEN GARLIC

Steps:

• Mix up the focaccia dough as directed and set in a warm spot to rise.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato-garlic topping. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan or skillet and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it begins to smell fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly to a fragrant sauce. Stir in the thyme. Taste and adjust salt, and add pepper. Remove from the heat. For a smooth sauce, blend with an immersion blender or pulse in a food processor.
• 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 tomato sauce over the top in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake, setting the pan on top of the baking stone (if using), for 25 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown. If using the mozzarella, tear it into small shreds. Bake the focaccia for 15 minutes, pull it from the oven and quickly scatter the mozzarella over the focaccia, then return to the oven for 10 minutes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely.

NO-KNEAD TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon thyme. Add cold water and 1/3 cup oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until a wet dough forms and no dry flour remains. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough quadruples in volume and top appears bubbly, at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
• Pour 1/3 cup oil onto a 12-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Lightly coat your hands with oil on sheet, and scrape dough onto center of sheet. Turn dough to evenly coat with oil, then press to spread in an even thickness to edges of pan. Use your fingers to make dimple-like indentations all over dough. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume (dough should reach top of sheet rim), about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack in lower third. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with garlic, red-pepper flakes, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 2 teaspoons thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle evenly over dough; drizzle with any accumulated juices from bowl.
• Bake until puffed slightly and golden brown on top, 16 to 18 minutes (if top is browning too quickly,tent with foil). Let focaccia cool in pan on a wire rack until warm but no longer hot, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or room-temperature, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

BACON AND TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Prepare the basic focaccia, setting it to rise as in Step 4 above.
• While the dough is rising, fry the bacon until it is golden. Set aside to drain on paper towels. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it coarsely.
• Once the focaccia has risen and has been placed in the pan ready to bake, as in Step 6 above, sprinkle it with the bacon.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Sprinkle the focaccia with the scallions. Slice tomatoes one-fourth-inch thick and arrange them on the surface, over the bacon and scallions. Brush them with the olive oil.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the bottom is browned and the top is puffy and lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper and serve.

OLIVE, CHERRY TOMATO & FETA FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large bowl with the yeast and 2 tsp salt, and mix together. Add 2 tbsp of the olive oil, then slowly pour in 350ml lukewarm water, continuing to mix until you have a slightly sticky dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until the dough is soft and less sticky, then put in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Generously oil a shallow rectangular baking tin (ours was 20 x 30cm). Tip in the dough, then use your hands to stretch it out until it reaches the corners of the tin. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for a further 35-45 mins. Meanwhile, tip the tomatoes into a bowl, season, add the oregano and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss together and set aside.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Press the tomato halves evenly into the into the dough, then do the same with the olives. Crumble over the feta, then lightly press everything down again using your fingertips. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and scatter with sea salt, then bake for 25-30 mins until deep golden and puffed up. While the bread is still hot, drizzle over the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then slice. You can wrap it in the tin to take on a picnic, or wrap individual squares. Will keep wrapped, or in an airtight container, for up to two days.

FOCACCIA WITH TOMATOES AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Add the olive oil, whole-wheat flour, 200 grams of the all-purpose flour and salt and mix together briefly using the paddle attachment. Change to the dough hook and beat for 8 to 10 minutes at medium speed, adding flour as necessary. The dough should eventually form a ball around the dough hook and slap against the sides of the bowl as the mixer turns; it will be sticky. Remove from the bowl, flour your hands and knead for a minute on a lightly floured surface, and shape into a ball.
• If kneading the dough by hand, dissolve the yeast in the water with the sugar as directed. Stir in the olive oil, whole-wheat flour, salt and all-purpose flour by the half-cup, until the dough can be scraped out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, for 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth. Shape into a ball.
• Clean and dry your bowl and oil lightly with olive oil. Place the dough in it, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover tightly with plastic and let rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours, until doubled.
• Punch down the dough. Cover with lightly oiled plastic and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably with a baking stone in it. Line a sheet pan with parchment and oil generously. Roll or press out the dough into a rectangle the size of the sheet pan or just slightly smaller. To do this efficiently, roll or press out the dough, stop and wait 5 minutes for the gluten to relax, then roll or press out again, and repeat until the dough reaches the right size. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Just before baking, use your fingertips to dimple the dough all over.
• Cut the tomatoes into rounds and place on top of the focaccia. Sprinkle with coarse salt and the rosemary. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over all.
• Bake, setting the pan on top of the baking stone (if using), for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely.