Nancy Silvertons Focaccia

8/13/2019 Nancy Silvertons Focaccia

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Nancy Silverton's Basic Focaccia DoughLos Angeles Times, May 26, 2011http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-masterclass-20110526,0,1188913.htmlstory

Total time:3!hours, plus 12 to 24 hours resting time for the sponge

Servings:Makes 2 (10-inch) focaccia dough rounds

Note:This recipe requires the use of a stand mixer, 2 (10- by 2-inch) round cake pans and adigital kitchen scale. Cake yeast is available at cooking and baking supply stores, as well as atselect gourmet markets. The sponge must be started a day in advance. Focaccia sponge

Scant 1/8 packed teaspoon cake yeast or 1/16 teaspoon active dry yeast

Scant!cup (3.71 ounces) water

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons (3.04 ounces) bread flour

1. In a small mixing bowl(preferably plastic or ceramic), sprinkle the yeast over thewater. Set the bowl aside for a few minutes to give the water time to absorb the yeast. Using awooden spoon, stir in the bread flour until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

2. Cover the bowltightly with a sheet of plastic wrap, then tightly wrap another piece ofplastic wrap or twine around the perimeter of the bowl to further seal the bowl.

3. Set the bowlaside at room temperature (ideally 68 to 70 degrees) until the spongebecomes bubbly and thick, like the consistency of wallpaper paste (thicker than a pancakebatter but thinner than dough), 12 to 24 hours.

Focaccia dough

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (11.04 ounces) water

1/2 cup plus scant 1 tablespoon (.39 ounce) olive oil, divided

Focaccia sponge

2 packed tablespoons plus"packed teaspoon (.39 ounce) fresh cake yeast or 1#teaspoons(.195 ounce) active dry yeast

2 tablespoons plus#teaspoon (.56 ounce) rye flour

3 1/3 to 3 2/3 cups (15 to 16.45 ounces) bread flour, more if needed

1 tablespoon (.39 ounce) kosher salt

1. About 3!hoursbefore you are ready to bake the focaccia, place the water, scanttablespoon olive oil and sponge in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with a dough hookand, over low speed, add the yeast, rye flour and 15 ounces (3 1/3 cups) bread flour. Mix theingredients over low speed for 2 minutes to thoroughly combine and form the dough.

2. With the mixer running,slowly add the salt, then increase the speed to medium.


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Continue mixing the dough until it is smooth and well-formed, and starts to pull away fromthe bowl, 6 to 8 minutes. Note that the dough will not pull so much that it "cleans" the bowl,

but if the dough is too sticky and is not pulling away from the sides of the bowl at all, add alittle more bread flour (a spoonful as needed at a time) to achieve the right consistency.

3. While the doughis mixing, lightly grease a bowl large enough to hold the dough when it

doubles in size with olive oil. When the dough is ready, turn it out of the mixer into the oiledbowl. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and tightly wrap the perimeter of the bowl withkitchen twine or another piece of plastic wrap to further seal the bowl. Set the dough aside atroom temperature (ideally 68 to 70 degrees) until doubled, about 1!hours.

4. Dust the work surfacelightly with flour and turn the dough out onto the flouredsurface. Acting as if the round has four sides, fold the edges of the dough toward the center.Turn the dough over and return it, folded side down, to the bowl. Cover the bowl again withplastic wrap and set it aside at room temperature until it has doubled in volume, 50 minutesto 1 hour. (The dough will be puffy and will feel alive, springy and resistant. It will notcollapse under the touch of your fingertips.)

5. Pour"cup olive oilinto each of the cake pans, and tilt the pans so the oil coats the

bottom evenly. Dust the work surface again lightly with flour and carefully turn the doughout onto the floured surface, taking care not to deflate the dough in the process. Divide thedough into two equal segments, each weighing approximately 18 ounces. Place the doughsegments in the prepared cake pans and very gently pull the edges just to obtain a roughlyround shape. Cover the pans with a clean dishcloth and set aside at room temperature untilrelaxed and spread to cover about half of the surface of the pans, about 30 minutes.Onion and sage focaccia

Total time:1!hours, plus cooling time

Serves:Makes 1 focaccia; each focaccia yields 8 slices1 risen focaccia dough

2 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into generous!-inch cubes

1/2 large cubed Spanish onion, from a whole onion halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inchcubes (each cube will have several layers of onion)

Olive oil for brushing

1/3 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped sage leaves (about 30 chopped leaves)

Scant!teaspoon Maldon sea salt, or another large flake sea salt

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the dishcloth from the top of one of thefocaccias and, using your fingertips, gently tap down on the focaccia with about 5 lightstrokes to nudge it toward the edge of the pan; it still might not reach the edges, but don't

worry.

2. One at a time,push the mozzarella cubes into the focaccia dough while simultaneouslypushing outward to encourage the dough toward the edge of the pan, arranging the cubesevenly over the surface of the dough and pressing them so deep they are almost flush with itssurface.


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3. Keeping the onionsin a chunk of layers, arrange the cubes in the dough with thecheese, pressing them down into the dough and slightly outward. At this point, the doughshould be touching the edge of the pan.

4. Brush the surfacegenerously with olive oil, then sprinkle over the sage and sea salt. Set

the focaccia aside until it has risen and puffed around the toppings, about 30 minutes.

5. Place the focacciaon the center rack of the oven and bake until crisp and golden-brown,30 to 40 minutes. The focaccia should have risen almost to the top of the pan, and the cheese

will be crisp and browned.

6. Move the panto the bottom of the oven and continue to bake until the bottom crust ofthe focaccia is deep golden and crisp to the touch, about 5 minutes more.

7. Remove the panfrom the oven and remove the focaccia from the pan to a wire rack (usea fork to gently lift and slide the focaccia out of the pan, careful of any hot oil that may still beat the bottom of the pan). Brush the surface of the focaccia once more with olive oil. Set thefocaccia aside to cool slightly or as long as you can resist it.

8. Transfer the focacciato a cutting board. Halve the focaccia using a long knife, then cutone-half into 4 wedges (don't cut the other half until you are ready to eat it).

Each slice:203 calories; 5 grams protein; 25 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 9 gramsfat; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 mg cholesterol; 0 sugar; 365 mg sodium.Roasted pepper and chile focaccia

Total time:2 hours, 10 minutes, plus cooling time

Serves:Makes 1 focaccia; each focaccia yields 8 slices.

6 Fresno chiles (red jalapeos), stemmed, seeded and sliced into 1/8-inch lengthwise strips

1/4 cup olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing

Kosher salt

15 sweet baby bell peppers, stemmed, halved lengthwise and seeded

1 risen focaccia dough

2 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, cut into generous!-inch cubes

10 small cherry tomatoes, such as Sweet 100s

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves


1. Roast the chilesand peppers: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the sliced chiles on arimmed baking sheet and drizzle over 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle over a pinch of koshersalt and toss to coat the chiles with oil and seasoning. Roast the chiles until slightly wilted, 4


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to 6 minutes. Remove and cool the chiles. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees toroast the peppers.

2. To roast the peppers,place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub them all over with 2tablespoons olive oil and season with one-fourth teaspoon kosher salt. Roast the peppers,turning them occasionally, until their skins are wrinkled and slightly charred in places, about

30 minutes. Remove and cool the peppers to room temperature. Increase the oventemperature to 450 degrees.

3. Remove the dishclothfrom the top of one of the focaccias and, using your fingertips,gently tap down on the focaccia with about 5 light strokes to nudge it toward the edge of thepan; it still might not reach the edges, but don't worry.

4. One at a time,push the mozzarella cubes into the focaccia dough while simultaneouslypushing outward to encourage the dough toward the edge of the pan, arranging the cubesevenly over the surface of the dough and pressing them so deep they are almost flush with itssurface. Do the same with the tomatoes.

5. Sprinkleover the thinly sliced chiles, using your palms to gently pat them flush with the

top of the dough, over the other toppings.

6. Arrange the peppers:Place 1 to 3 peppers on the surface of the dough, arranging themin a rough circle approximately 3 inches in diameter, overlapping slightly if needed. Usingthe tips of your fingers, gently press the peppers into the dough, rotating your hand clockwise(or counterclockwise) to form the peppers into a loose flower or rosette shape. Be sure not topress the peppers too far to the bottom of the pan. Repeat, alternating the pepper colors, toform approximately 8 rounds over the surface of the dough.

7. Sprinkle over the thymeand sea salt. Set the focaccia aside until it has risen and puffedaround the toppings, about 30 minutes.

8. Place the focacciaon the center rack of the 450-degree oven and bake until crisp and

golden-brown, 30 to 40 minutes. The focaccia should have risen almost to the top of the pan,the peppers will be charred and the cheese will be crisp and browned.


10. Remove the panfrom the oven and remove the focaccia from the pan to a wire rack(use a fork to gently lift and slide the focaccia out of the pan, careful of any hot oil that maystill be at the bottom of the pan). Brush the surface of the focaccia once more with olive oil.Set the focaccia aside to cool slightly or as long as you can resist it.


Each slice:247 calories; 6 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 13 gramsfat; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 mg cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 390 mg sodium.Olive and rosemary focaccia

Total time:1!hours, plus cooling time

Serves:Makes 1 focaccia; each focaccia yields 8 slices.


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1 risen focaccia dough

2 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, cut into generous!-inch cubes

40 pitted Ascolana olives (or another large pitted green olive)

Olive oil for brushing

20 tufts fresh rosemary


1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the dishcloth from the top of one of thefocaccias and, using your fingertips, gently tap down on the focaccia with about 5 lightstrokes to nudge it toward the edge of the pan; it still might not reach the edges, but don't

worry.

2. One at a time,push the mozzarella cubes into the focaccia dough while simultaneously

pushing outward to encourage the dough toward the edge of the pan, arranging the cubesevenly over the surface of the dough and pressing them so deep they are almost flush with itssurface.

3. Do the samewith the olives, arranging them in circular rows between the cheese cubesand pressing them down into the dough and slightly outward.

4. Brush the surface generouslywith olive oil, then press the rosemary tufts into thedough. Sprinkle over the sea salt. Set the focaccia aside until it is risen and puffed around thetoppings, about 30 minutes.

5. Place the focacciaon the center rack of the oven and bake until crisp and golden-brown,30 to 40 minutes. The focaccia should have risen almost to the top of the pan, and the cheese

will be crisp and browned.


7. Remove the panfrom the oven and remove the focaccia from the pan to a wire rack (usea fork to gently lift and slide the focaccia out of the pan, careful of any hot oil that may still beat the bottom of the pan). Brush the surface of the focaccia once more with olive oil. Set thefocaccia aside to cool slightly or as long as you can resist it.


Each slice:213 calories; 5 grams protein; 25 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 10 gramsfat; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 mg cholesterol; 0 sugar; 470 mg sodium.

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Nancy Silvertons Focaccia