Feature
October, 04 2008
Flat Bread Focaccia
by Drew Kime
Sometimes you set out to do one thing but end up doing something else just as good. I don't mean setting out to find a route to India, and you end up "discovering" a whole new continent, but I guess it's the same kind of thing: a happy accident.
That's what this turned out to be -- a happy accident. I meant to make Focaccia, but it came out as a sort of flat bread. A really yummy flat bread.
Of course now I need to figure out what I did wrong.
Ingredients The bread
4 cups flour
3 packets active dry yeast (21 grams total)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
The toppings
1-2 cups
-- or --
bacon bits
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4-8 cloves garlic (depending on whether you've got a hot date)
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Dissolve the yeast in about a cup of warm water -- between 105° and 115°. Too hot will kill it, to cold and it will remain dormant.
While that dissolves, make a pile with the flour on a spotlessly clean work surface, make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast. Add the olive oil and the salt.
With the thin handle of a wooden spoon, stir slowly in the middle of the well, pulling more flour into the center with each turn. Once the liquid is incorporated enough to not run all over the surface, pull the rest of the flour in with your hands and start kneading.
Once all the liquid is incorporated, scrape up all the flour that's stuck to the counter with a scraper or spatula, and add just enough water to incorporate the rest of the flour. Knead until it is a firm, smooth consistency.
Place the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or dish towel. Allow the dough to rise for about two hours, until it has doubled in size. Check after about a half hour; if it doesn't seem to be rising, move the bowl to a warmer place.
Once the dough is risen, set out all the ingredients you'll be putting on top. Chop the rosemary roughly. You want each leaf cut into two or three pieces. The garlic, I've had done as slices that were pressed all the way through the dough, and I've had it chopped and pressed into the top. I prefer the chopped version.
Once all your toppings are ready, oil the pan with olive oil. Spread to make sure it's completely covered. Stretch the dough so that it mostly fills the pan. Poke the dough with your fingertips to make little depressions, then brush the top with olive oil.
Cover the top with garlic and rosemary. Add the prosciutto/bacon bits, and press everything gently into the dough. Just press it enough that everything doesn't fall off when the bread is baked.
If you want a crispy flat bread consistency, like I've got in the picture above, bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. If you want light and fluffy, like traditional focaccia, let the dough rise for another half-hour or so before baking.
And that's it.
See step-by-step photos of the process at How To Cook Like Your Grandmother.
