fresh rosemary and red onion focaccia

Where has the summer gone?  I'm sure that's being echoed by every parent and grandparent at this moment, as they realize school starts next week.  I am still deep in boxes, rummaging through eight boxes to find one small ice cream scoop (never found) or the portrait of my Grandmother Helen (still not found), or my mandoline (found half of it), my tray of silver knives, forks, and spoons are found, at last, though!

So, that has been my summer: packing, unpacking, playing with the children, walks, swims, museum going, and a fine visit to the Irish Fair here, mainly so Izzie could finally see the young step dancers performing - which she loved!  

Too busy and hectic to bake much, though I did finish this focaccia my daughter started.  She made the dough the night before, and I finished it the next afternoon.  She found it on Bon Appetit, and I must say it was delicious.  The dough is rolled very, very, thin, proofed, assembled, and baked.  It comes out crunchy and toasty and was a hit with all three children - and me.  I was very sad to see the platter empty, but will make again:  the CSA share box always has fresh red onions to remind me.


rosemary and red onion focaccia

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided , plus more
1 3/4ths cups King Arthur all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup water plus more if needed
1/2-3/4ths cup very thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
2-3 tablespoons chopped oregano and basil leaves
fresh pepper 

Lightly oil a bowl, set aside.  Combine the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and 3/4th a cup of water in mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook.  Mix on low for 5 minutes.  Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, increase speed to medium and mix for 6 minutes.  Form dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured work surface.  Knead by hand, adding a tablespoon of flour at a time as necessary to prevent sticking.  Place in bowl, let stand for an hour at room temperature, then place dough in plastic bag and chill in the fridge overnight.

The next day, oil a large rimmed baking sheet with oil.  Stretch and pull dough on sheet into a rectangle slightly smaller than the sheet.  Brush or drizzle 2 tablespoons oil on dough.  
Cover with plastic wrap loosely and let rest for an hour at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 500F.
Remove plastic wrap and dimple dough with fingertips.
Scatter the onions and herbs evenly over the dough, then sprinkle on salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Bake until golden - about 20 minutes in my oven.  Let cool before slicing and serving.
Recipe slightly modified from the original Bon Appetit recipe.



Let me know if you come up with some other toppings - I would love to know !  Thinking artichokes, sardines, feta, tomatoes - oh, the possibilities!

The wonderful David Leibovitz visited my hometown on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts - you can see it here.  It is beautiful!

Have a wonderful week, dear friends.

zucchini focaccia with fresh oregano leaves and cheddar

I have always been mystified by stories of runaway zucchini harvests.  Wouldn't you know it - I,  who love zucchini in all ways , have almost never had success with them.  Happily, this year my daughter has an amazing garden, and has been sharing her extras with me.  Including not only baby zukes, but a large (14 inches) but firm jumbo one.  I'm usually content to simmer thickly sliced zucchini with oregano until just tender, but this day I had a hankering for focaccia.  I made enough dough for three 8 inch rounds,  drizzled with olive oil, topped with sliced onions and matchsticks of zucchini, then topped it off with fresh oregano leaves and parmesan and sharp cheddar.  Something magical happened in the oven, because those were the best little focaccia I've ever made.

For the dough:

1 cup King Arthur whole wheat flour
1 cup King Arthur all purpose flour
1 T. fresh rosemary leaves, pulled off stems
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 

Whisk yeast into warm water, then whisk in oil.

Mix the flour, rosemary leaves, and salt in a large bowl.

Make a well in the flour, pour in the water/oil/yeast mixture, and stir in a circle until dough comes together.  With the whole wheat flour, it may look a little dry, but it is silky after rising. Drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and put in a warm, draft free place, until it doubles in bulk - about an hour.


Make the topping - enough for 3 eight inch focaccia

handful of fresh oregano leaves
1 medium onion, peeled , cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thickly
olive oil
6 cups zucchini, sliced into medium matchsticks
3 cups coarsely grated sharp cheddar and parmesan cheeses
kosher salt and a sprinkle of dried basil and oregano just before baking
Set aside.

When dough has risen, punch it down and divide into three pieces.
Shape each piece into an eight inch disc.
Drizzle a large baking sheet with olive oil and place the rounds on the sheet, not too close.
Let sit in barely warm oven THAT HAS BEEN TURNED OFF until doubled - about half an hour.

Remove dough and set oven to 360F.

Dimple the focaccia with your fingertips and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Toss the onion slices, and sprinkle over the focaccias.
Add the zucchini, about 2 cups per focaccia, then the cheeses, and the oregano sprigs.
Sprinkle with the salt, basil, and oregano.

Bake for 20 minutes or so, or until dough is slightly golden but soft.
Remove to cool, then slice.

Focaccia with braised onions and anchovies, or kale, potato, and linguica

Forgive me for my absence - I have been obsessed with focaccia lately.  Well, that and the fact that Spring has sprung.  And that I have a new grand-baby.  And the joy that today is the start of the month of May.

Living in New Hampshire means long, cold winters, and by March and April we are so done with cold, and snow, and ice, and sleet - not to mention fuel bills, that by the first glimpse of bare ground and signs of the earth thawing, we go a little bananas.  We want more.  We cheer the daffodils poking through the dirt.  We cheer sugaring season.  We cheer the first night we don't wear two layers outside.

I have packed away my fleece sweatpants, worn nightly since December. I cheer the slow progress of the thermometer rising slowly, from -15 to a tropical 60 degrees.  And I get inventive with supper, first making a strongly flavored anchovy focaccia sprinkled with rosemary, then sliding toward a more acceptable (to those who didn't grow up with fish of any sort, from cod to smoked salmon and pickled herring , shad roe to sardines, which we had growing up on the Cape) kale, potato, and linguica ( a Portuguese sausage that is delectable) focaccia that was an instant hit.  

I use a recipe from Nick Malgieri's cookbook, The Modern Baker.  He has a distinctive way of making the dough (seen here) that makes a tender crust that is simply delicious.  I cut the recipe in half for a small focaccia for two or three.  

The focaccia dough:

2 cups King Arthur flour, all purpose
1 t. kosher salt
1 heaping teaspoon dried rapid-rise yeast
3/4 cup warm water plus a few tablespoons warm water if needed
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the flour and salt in a heat proof ceramic bowl.
Whisk the yeast into the warm water, then add the olive oil.
Using a rubber spatula, make a well in the flour and pour in the liquid.
Stir the liquid into the flour from the center in a circular motion, from inside to outside.
If the dough is too dry, add another tablespoon or two of water to the dough until it forms a soft ball.

Add a bit of olive oil to the bowl and roll the dough gently around , then cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Briefly ( about three minutes)  preheat oven to 250F, turn off heat, and place bowl in oven until doubled in bulk - about an hour.

Grease a cookie sheet/jellyroll pan with olive oil and scrape dough into pan.  Gently pat and spread the dough with your fingers and palms, shaping a free form oblong shape.  Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and set back into the barely warm oven, letting it rise until doubled.

Remove the dough from the oven, turn heat to 400F.  Dimple the dough with your fingertips and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.

Toppings:

Braised Onion and Anchovy topping:

1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 T. olive oil
1/2 tin anchovy fillets in olive oil 
rosemary or oregano to taste
1 t. kosher salt
1/2-1 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese

On slow heat in a skillet, braise the onions in the olive oil until very soft.  Stir in the anchovies and herbs.  Spread onto the focaccia dough and top with the parmesan.  Bake for 20 minutes, remove to cool.  Cut into squares and serve.


For the kale, potato, and linguica topping:

2 cups kale, torn off the stem
2 red potatoes, medium dice
4 tablespoons salsa ( I use Green Mountain Gringo)
1/2 package linguica, sliced or diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Hefty drizzle of olive oil
1-2 t. kosher salt

 In large saucepan, simmer the potato in just enough water to cover until it is just tender.  Add the linguica and cook 10 minutes, then add the kale, cover, and cook until just wilted.  Using a spoon, spread the salsa sparingly on the dough.  Strain the potatoes, kale, and linguica,  and arrange on the dough then drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake in preheated 400F oven for 20 minutes, remove, cool, serve.

Happy Spring!

rosemary & wild grape focaccia

A few weeks ago, I was visiting my daughter and daughter-in-law when (happily) Anni pulled out a hot, gorgeous - what IS that?  Bread?  Pizza? Cake?- out of the oven.  She cut off a chunk and I tasted the most remarkable whatever-it-was.  Salty and sweet, juicy and toasty.  It turned out to be an amazing soft focaccia made with rosemary, sea salt, sugar, and wild grapes that Anni and just-now 2 year old Frankie had just picked from grapevines beside the road.   She generously packed up half a yogurt container with those fragrant fruits , which I took home - and forgot about in my pneumonia haze.

I found them today .  And guess what I made?

Yup, and you can find the recipe here, which Anni got from her blogger best friend at Ben and Birdy.

Remarkable, amazing, and delicious.

rosemary focaccia with olives

Once the warm weather arrives, this is one of my go-to brunch, party, or dinner recipes - Nick Malgieri's soft, olive oil focaccia sprinkled with olives and everything from anchovies to tomatoes to onions or peppers sauteed in olive oil.  Goat cheese would be delicious, or some shavings of parmesan, but it's also great fairly plain.

This is from Nick's book, The Modern Baker , and I halved the recipe and baked it in a smaller baking pan/cookie sheet-with-an-edge.  Because of the olive oil, it doesn't go stale quickly, so I baked it the night before I was serving it and wrapped it in plastic wrap.

Served with chilled fruit and minty seltzer, it was perfect for an 80 degree day.

To make:

2 T. fresh rosemary, stripped from stems and minced in a food processor ( if you don't mind the stick-like quality of fresh rosemary leaves, skip this part)
2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. dry yeast ( I used Rapid-Rise)
3/4 cups plus 2 T. warm water
1 1/2 T. olive oil
assorted toppings - olives, anchovies, sauteed peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc.

Combine salt, rosemary, and flour in mixer bowl and stir.
In a small bowl,  whisk the yeast into the water and add the olive oil.  Wisk again.
With a rubber scraper/spatula, make a well in the flour mix and pour in the liquid mixture.
Stir in a circle beginning in the center of the bowl, gathering the flour into the wet ingredients until all the dry bits are completely incorporated into the dough.

With scraper or clean hand, fold the dough over itself gently, then cover bowl with plastic wrap until doubled in bulk - about an hour at a warm room temperature, more if it's cooler.

Oil a medium baking sheet/pan with olive oil.    Scrape the dough gently into the pan, and gently press the dough to the edges.  If it is too elastic, let the dough rest for a few minutes and press it to the edges.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Let dough sit for five minutes ( it's a nice soft dough), then dimple it all over using the tips of your fingers.  Add the toppings as wished, and drizzle on 1 or 2 T. olive oil.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden .  Remove and cool before cutting.

Here comes summer!

homemade focaccia and herb cheese

Last night, I was re-reading Under the Tuscan Sun, delighting in this particular paragraph:

"Like old peasants, we could sit by the fireplace, grilling slabs of bread and oil, pour a young Chianti. After rooms of Renaissance virgins and dusty back roads from Umbertide, I cook a pan of small eels fried with garlic and sage. "

I think it's books like these that pushed me into the kitchen - it's not only food, but poems and dreams. So - last night I made Nick Malgieri's focaccia and my own herb cheese, dreaming of Tuscan fireplaces and olive trees.( I don't have an olive tree, but I do have an orange tree -see above)

To make the focaccia ( this is from The Modern Baker), and it is the best focaccia I've ever had.

4 cups King Arthur flour

2 t. salt ( and this is important! I use kosher.)

one envelope active dry yeast

1 2/3 cup warm water

3 T. olive oil

extra olive oil for the pan and for drizzling

one jellyroll pan, generously oiled

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.

Whisk yeast into warm water in a small bowl, then whisk in the olive oil.

Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast/oil mixture.

Using a circular motion with a strong spoon, mix the dough until all the dry bits have been incorporated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place - on top of the fridge, or in an oven that has been turned on for a few minutes, then off. Make sure the oven is off and warm, not hot.

Let dough rise to double. Scrape dough into oiled pan and pat out to fill the pan. Let rise for another 40 minutes or so.

Dimple the dough with your fingertips, drizzle olive oil ( about 2 T.) , plus herbs if you wish, on top of the dough. Bake at 400F for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove the focaccia from the pan with a large spatula, and place on cooling rack.

The herb cheese:

Tangy, silky, and the best ever topping for sandwiches - especially roast beef or turkey sandwiches. It works on baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, with raw veggies for crudites and/or a dip - delicious!

To make:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 stick softened unsalted butter

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. dijon mustard

1-2 T. fresh parsley, minced

1 T. fresh chives, minced, or finely chopped green scallion tops

2 garlic cloves, pressed

SALT to taste

freshly cracked pepper

1 T. dried tarragon

In mixer bowl or by hand, mix ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Taste! I often need to add more salt. Pack in containers and place in fridge until needed.

Enjoy!

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