Polly O Quick Focaccia Food

QUICK FOCACCIA RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and turn on the oven light. Grease a 9-x 13-inch baking pan with 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread the olive oil to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix on low speed until a dough begins to form, about 2 minutes.
• Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
• With the mixer on medium speed, knead the dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with an oiled spatula, until the mixture is well combined and no more flour is visible, about 4 minutes. The dough will be very sticky and may not form a ball.
• Scrape the dough into the prepared baking pan, pressing lightly and stretching to fit. Place the pan in the oven for 1 hour to proof.
• Remove the pan, then heat the oven to 425 F.
• While the oven is heating, drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil all over the dough. The dough will be puffy, so handle it gently to avoid deflating it. Using your fingertips, lightly dimple the dough all over, then sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and pepper, if using.
• Bake the focaccia until golden brown, 21 to 24 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

THE BEST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook on low speed, stir in the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, mixing until the flour is completely moistened. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Add the salt and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. (The dough will tighten up, then begin to relax. After 5 minutes it will be very wet and stick to the bottom of the mixer but not the sides.)
• Rub 2 tablespoons olive oil around the bottom and sides of a large mixing bowl (big enough to hold at least double the volume of the dough). Using a scraper or spatula, transfer the dough to the bowl, flipping once to coat completely with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Pour the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into the bottom of an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Use your hands to evenly distribute the oil along the bottom and up the sides. Scrape the dough into the baking sheet, flattening it slightly with your hands. Flip the dough once and gently stretch it to fit into an even layer in the baking sheet. (The dough may not stretch to the edges at this point. If it starts to pull back, let rest 10 minutes and re-stretch, making sure to pull from the center as well as the edges to get an even thickness.) Use your fingertips to make dimples over the surface of the focaccia, pressing firmly but not so hard you make holes in the dough.
• For the brine and finish: Dissolve the kosher salt in 1/3 cup warm water. Drizzle over the surface of the focaccia, letting it pool in the dimples. Cover loosely with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to relax and rise again.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, until the focaccia is deep golden brown on the top and bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Drizzle with the olive oil and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the focaccia to a wire rack to cool completely.

FOCACCIA POCKETS

Steps:

• Stir the yeast and sugar into 1 3/4 cups warm water (about 100 degrees F) in the measuring cup or a small bowl. Let sit until foamy, about 3 minutes.
• Combine the flour and kosher salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the yeast mixture and 1/4 cup of the olive oil and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough, adding more flour or water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed, until the dough forms a loose ball that just pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead on high speed until the dough is smooth and elastic but still a bit looser than traditional bread dough, about 5 minutes.
• Coat a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the dough and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Coat a rimmed baking sheet with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer the dough to the middle of the baking sheet. Gently stretch the dough all the way to edges of the baking sheet. If the dough springs back, let it rest for a few minutes and continue stretching. (Don't rush it; this process could take up to 10 to 15 minutes.)
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Use a pizza wheel to cut the dough lengthwise in half through the center, then make crosswise cuts to get 8 rectangles. Divide the pepperoni among the rectangles, placing it on the lower half of each rectangle and leaving a border around the edges. Dollop the ricotta on top of the pepperoni and spread with the back of a spoon, again leaving a border around the edges. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and pecorino, leaving the border free.
• Fold the top of each dough rectangle over the filling and press the edges to seal. Use a large spatula to help transfer the pockets to the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each pocket slightly with the palm of your hand. Trim the edges with a pizza wheel, if desired. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from the pockets and use the tips of your fingers to gently dimple the dough all over. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with additional pecorino, the rosemary needles and flaky salt. Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the pockets are golden brown on the tops and bottoms, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix the yeast into one side of the flour, and the fine salt into the other side. Then mix everything together, this initial seperation prevents the salt from killing the yeast.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tbsp oil and 350-400ml lukewarm water, adding it gradually until you have a slightly sticky dough (you may not need all the water). Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until your dough is soft and less sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Oil a rectangle, shallow tin (25 x 35cm). Tip the dough onto the work surface, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples. Mix together 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp water and the flaky salt and drizzle over the bread. Push sprigs of rosemary into the dimples in the dough.
• Bake for 20 mins until golden. Whilst the bread is still hot, drizzle over 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with extra olive oil, if you like.

CLASSIC FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt and yeast. Add the warm water to the flour mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated and a sticky dough forms. (Expect a very wet dough; no kneading required.) Pour 2 tablespoons oil into a medium bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turn to coat, and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 24 hours or for up to 2 days.
• When you're ready to bake, brush the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with oil. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer to the prepared pan. Using your hands, spread the dough out as much as possible, adding oil to the dough if needed to keep it from sticking. (Don't worry if the dough doesn't yet cover the full pan; it will once it relaxes and rises.) Place the dough in a warm place and let rise until about doubled in bulk. The rising time will vary considerably depending on the season. (In the summer, it may take only 20 minutes for the dough to warm up and rise; in the winter, it can take 1 hour or more.) When the dough is ready, it should be room temperature, spread out on the sheet and fluffy.
• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Using your palms, pat down the focaccia to an even thickness of about 1 inch, then, using your fingertips, dimple the entire dough. Drizzle it with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the entire surface of the focaccia evenly with the sea salt and herbs, if using.
• Bake, rotating once front to back, until the top is uniformly golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the focaccia on the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool, then slide out of the pan. Enjoy it hot. (Focaccia deteriorates in quality after the first day. If there is some left over, wrap it tightly in plastic and store at room temperature for another day. Day-old focaccia is delicious in soup.)