Focaccia is one of the recipes we have grown to absolutely love, so I thought I'd jump on the new vegetable focaccia trend that hitting the baking scene. Focaccia itself is chewy and delicious, with a topping of salty, garlic laden olive oil that rivals any Olive Garden breadstick. This recipe allows you to be creative and artistic and use herbs and vegetables as your muse! It's important to use fruits and vegetables that aren't too high in water content (like mushrooms and berries), as that could prevent the bread from baking correctly. Also, don't slice the vegetables too thinly because that could lead them to burning.
Please share your designs with me, as I'd love to see what ya'll come up with!
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 2 hrs 30 min
Total Time: 3 hrs
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups warm tap water
2 1/4 tsps active dry yeast
3 Tbsp sugar
1 cup olive oil + more for greasing and topping
5 cups flour
2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp chopped rosemary
3 garlic cloves, diced
Any vegetables and herbs to decorate the top with like parsley, asparagus, green beans, onion, tomatoes, olives, squash, zucchini, chives, and basil.
DIRECTIONS:
At the bottom of a large mixing bowl, lightly mi the water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup olive oil, flour, and 1 tsp sea salt to the bowl and mix using the dough hook. Mix for 1-2 minutes until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead with the dough hook for 5 additional minutes. If the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add 1/4 cup flour at a time until the dough becomes less sticky.
Grease a large bowl with a little bit of olive oil and scrape the dough into that bowl. flip the dough to coat with olive oil, then loosely cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm place in the kitchen for an hour.
Once the dough has risen, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle the top of it with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the parchment lined baking sheet and use your hands to pull and stretch the dough to the sides of the baking sheet. Use your fingers to make little divits along the entire top of the dough. Let rise a second time for 45 minutes.
Prep your vegetables and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Once the dough has risen for the second time, mix 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, and rosemary in a small bowl and brush the top of the dough with the mixture. Add the toppings as desired to the dough to create your design. Press the items lightly into the top of the dough. Sprinkle the top of the entire creation with the remaining sea salt.
Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
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