After many requests for this foccacia recipe from the January Enrichment, we just had to post this delicious bread recipe so that others may enjoy.
I know that I'll be making it tomorrow! Enjoy. :)
Foccacia5 c unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
6 Tbs olive oil
2 c water, room temperature
1/4-1/2 c herb oil*
Stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the oil and water and mix with a large metal spoon until all the ingredients form a wet, sticky ball (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment). If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. You may need to add additional flour to firm up the dough enough to clear the sides of the bowl, but the dough should still be quite soft and sticky.
Sprinkle enough flour on the counter to make a bed about 6 inches square. Using a scraper or spatula dipped in water, transfer the sticky dough to the bed of flour and dust liberally with flour, patting the dough into a rectangle. Wait 5 minutes for the dough to relax.
Coat your hands with flour and stretch the dough from each end to twice its size. Fold it, letter style, over itself to return it to a rectangular shape. Mist the top of the dough with spray oil, again dust with flour, and loosely cover with plastic wrap.
Let rest for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough again; mist with spray oil, dust with flour, and cover. After 30 minutes, repeat this one more time.
Allow the covered dough to ferment on the counter for 1 hour. It should swell but not necessarily double in size.
Line a 17 X 12 sheet pan with baking parchment and proceed with the shaping and panning. Drizzle 1/4 c olive oil over the paper, and spread it with your hands or a brush to cover the surface. Lightly oil your hands and using a plastic or metal pastry scraper, lift the dough off the counter and transfer it to the sheet pan, maintaining the rectangular shape as much as possible.
Spoon half of the herb oil over the dough. Use your fingertips to dimple the dough and spread it to fill the pan simultaneously. Do not use the flat of your hands--only the fingertips--to avoid tearing or ripping the dough. Try to keep the thickness as uniform as possible across the surface. Dimpling allows you to de-gas only part of the dough while preserving gas in the non-dimpled sections. If the dough becomes too springy, let it rest for about 15 minutes and then continue dimpling. Use more herb oil as needed to ensure that the entire surface is coated with oil.
Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap (or place the pan inside a food-grade plastic bag). Refrigerate the dough overnight (or for up to 3 days).
Remove the pan from the refrigerator 3 hours before baking. Drizzle additional herb oil over the surface and dimple it in. (You can use all of it if you want; the dough will absorb it even thought it looks like a lot). This should allow you to fill the pan completely with the dough to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Add any other pre-proof toppings desired. Again, cover the pan with plastic and proof the dough at room temperature for 3 hours, or until the dough doubles in size, rising to a thickness of nearly 1 inch.
Preheat the oven to 500 F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Gently place any pre-bake toppings on the dough.
Place the pan in the oven. Lower the oven setting to 450 F and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan 100 degrees and continue baking the focaccia for 5-1o minutes or so. The internal temperature of the dough should register above 200 F, and the cheese, if using, should melt but not burn.
Remove the pan from the oven and immediately transfer the focaccia out of the pan onto a cooling rack. If the parchment is stuck on the bottom, carefully remove it by lifting the corner fo the focaccia and peeling it off the bottom with a gentle tug.
Allow focaccia to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing or serving.
*Herb Oil:The generous application of herb oil to focaccia will enhance the flavor of the dough more than any toppings. There are many ways to make this oil, and you can make it in any quantity. I try to always keep some on hand for cooking and dipping. You can use either dried or fresh herbs, or a combination. Do not heat the oil, just warm it, and then let the herbs steep in the warm oil, infusing with their wonderful flavors.
Warm 2 c olive oil to about 100 F. Add 1 c chopped fresh herbs. The herbs may include basil, parsley, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, savory, and sage, in any combination. Add 1 Tbs granulated garlic or 5-6 cloves fresh garlic, minced. Store any unused herb oil in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
