How to ... make focaccia

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Wed, 17 Feb 2010
Food & Wine | Cooking 101 | Trick of the trade
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Mix 1 cup of tepid water with the sugar and sprinkle yeast over the top. Set it aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or so to activate the yeast. It will form a spongy layer on top of the water. Photos by Linda Robertson. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the activated yeast mixture, the olive oil and most of the rest of the water. Mix well, adding extra water as needed. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic - approximately 8-10 minutes. Lightly oil a bowl, and put the kneaded dough in, turning to coat the surfaces with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until doubled in size - about 2 to 2 hours. Slower proofing gives a better flavour. You can make the dough to this stage in a breadmaker on dough setting if you like. When the dough has risen, push it down gently with your fist and knead again lightly. Divide the dough in two, shape into balls and let rest for five minutes or so. Oil and lightly flour two baking sheets. Roll each ball of dough into an oval about 1-2cm thick. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof again until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 200degC. To prepare the topping, remove leaves from the rosemary and chop finely. Pit and halve the olives if you are using them. When the loaves have doubled in size, brush with oil again if you like, then make small indentations by pressing your fingers in deeply. Sprinkle with flaky salt and rosemary. If using olives, press them into the dough. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. When it is cooked, bread sounds hollow when you tap it with your fingers. Wrap the warm focaccia in a clean tea towel and allow it to cool on a rack. Wrapping it in a towel keeps it light and soft. Serve focaccia freshly baked with dips such as hummus or tapenade. It's also good by itself or with soup or salad.
 

Daniel Pfyl, hospitality management lecturer at Otago Polytechnic, shares some professional techniques to make your cooking easier.

Focaccia is a flattish bread, usually topped with olive oil, salt and sometimes herbs or olives, and eaten fresh as a snack with drinks. It makes good toast the following day. This recipe makes two focaccia or, alternatively, four pizza bases.

Ingredients

2½ cups tepid water (it should feel neither hot nor cold)

1 tsp sugar

3 tsp dried yeast

6 cups strong (hard, breadmaking) flour

2 tsp salt

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

for topping:

Extra virgin olive oil

Flaky sea salt

Rosemary

Olives (optional)

 

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To check earlier Trick of the trade columns visit: www.odt.co.nz/news/tags/trick-trade

More information on cooking from the Otago Polytechnic can be found on www.otagocookeryl4.blogspot.com

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