Thursday, January 24, 2013

HOME-MADE BREAD: This is a tried & true recipe that I had used for many years with good result.



FOCACCIA:

 

 

 
4 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp. active dry yeast                                               

1 ½ cups warm water + 1 tsp. sugar                                                                

5 tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ tsp. salt                                                                 

1 tsp. kosher salt

 

 

 
Proof yeast for 10 minutes with ½ cup warm water to which sugar has been dissolved. Stir down and let stand another 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil.

 

Put 3 ½ cups flour and salt in mixing bowl of Standing mixer with dough hook attached. Swirl mixture for a few seconds on Speed 2. With machine running, add yeast water together with 1 cup warm water. Continue beating, adding ½ cup or more of flour, until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of mixing bowl. Knead dough for 2 minutes more.

 

Place dough in greased bowl, turning over to grease completely. Cover with tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours until double in bulk.

 

Punch dough down, and turn it out onto a floured surface. Cover with towel and let rest for 25 minutes.  Roll dough out and fit it into a large greased jelly-roll pan.

 

With a fork, make indentations, 1-inch apart, all over the surface of the dough, almost to the bottom of the pan.  Drizzle top with 3 tbsp. olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt. Cover with towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until dough has risen to the top of pan.

 

Alternately, after dough has risen the second time, with fingertips, press indentation into dough to give dimpled surface. Brush with olive oil and sprinkled with ½ tsp. dried oregano or rosemary, or 2 tbsp. fresh basil or rosemary, and ½ tsp coarse salt. 

 

Bake at preheated 425 degrees F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

 

 

 

OTHER VARIATIONS OF TOPPING:

 

 

1.  Red peppers—dice 2 red bell peppers and fry in olive oil. Omit kosher salt and spoon peppers over dough

 

 

2.  Onions---cook ½ cup chopped onions, 1 tsp. minced garlic; add in ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp. sugar, mix well. Spread mixture over dough, omitting kosher salt. .     

 

 

3.  Parmesan garlic—omit salt, sprinkle focaccia with ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese after 10 minutes of baking

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