Jamie's Focaccia

I never thought to enhance my breaducation by using Jamie as a guide. Don’t get me wrong…. I had faith he can make bread and I have seen him do so when we still had satellite feed and I watched Food Network. But when I think of a bread-making tutor …..no, Jamie does not immediately spring to mind.


Photo Credit - David Loftus

In this case ….he came through. This one almost ruined dinner as it was out of the oven before the charcoal was ready for grilling and...you know...we sampled it a bit.




I modified Jamie's recipe a tad, not much, but I think adding balsamic vinegar to the tomatoes, garlic and onion gave it a great tang.

Focaccia

1 ¾ cup white bread flour
1 ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 (1/4 oz) envelope active dry yeast
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water

OR, if pressed for time grab a pizza dough from your deli and let it rise.

Some toppings which will be good:
Extra virgin olive oil
Cherry tomatoes
Sliced garlic
Thyme
Rosemary
Goat Cheese
Balsamic vinegar

Place 1 3/4 cups each white bread flour and whole-wheat flour and 1 1/2 tsp sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.

In a separate small bowl, add 1 (1/4 oz) envelope of active dry yeast and 1 1/2 tsp sugar to 1 cup lukewarm water. Mix; when it foams, pour into the well, blending in the flour with a fork as you go (add a splash more water if needed. When the dough comes together, tip it onto a flour-dusted surface and knead vigorously for 5 minutes until smooth.

Lightly oil the bowl, add the dough, and dust with flour. Cover with a clean, damp dish towel, and leave it to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes, until doubled in size. Prepare your toppings.
OK, Thirty Minutes Later…….
The dough has risen,so punch it down a few times. Transfer to a flour-dusted 11 by 15-inch baking sheet and spread out to the corners. Cover with dish towel again and leave to rise for 30 minutes, until doubled in size again.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Another Thirty Minutes Later…….
Poke the dough with your fingers to create little holes. Scatter each topping over the dough. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.



Hop over to I Heart Cooking Club and see the other bready creations. Only one more week with Jamie over there and then we move to a lady chef for the following six months. Tessa Kiros won the vote so...get ready for some delicious Mediterrean cuisine!

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