Focaccia (pronounced "fuh-KA-cha") is a type of Italian yeast bread baked in flat sheet pans. Focaccia dough is typically flavored with olive oil but for our recipe we are using Sunflower Oil, the classic for the dough and Garlic for flavoring. It can be topped with herbs and other vegetables as you wish. It is a yummy 'flattish' bread which makes a great appetizer dipped in Kricklewood Farm Aiolis or served with a meal of Italian pasta. This is the basic recipe which can be topped with Rosemary, roasted red peppers, onions, black olives according to your taste. Thank you to Amy W who sent in this recipe!
Ingredients:
- ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.)
- 2 tsp. honey
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
- 5 Tbsp. Kricklewood Farm Sunflower Oil divided, plus more for hands
- 1 Tbsp. Kricklewood Farm Garlic Sunflower Oil
- Butter for greasing pan
- Dried Rosemary
Directions:
- Whisk one ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), 2 tsp. honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes until it foams or at least get creamy.
- Add flour and Kosher salt, mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough (It's lumpy yet well-mixed (no dry spots of flour); it's a cohesive ball but not a smooth one) forms and no dry streaks remain.
- Pour 4 Tbsp. Kricklewood Farm Sunflower Oil into a big bowl, transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a plastic wrap and wait until dough is doubled in size at room temperature, approximately 3–4 hours.
- Butter a large (18"x13") rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1 Tbsp. Kricklewood Farm Sunflower Oil into center of pan.
- Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process 3 more times to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball.
- Transfer dough to prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450° wtih rack in middle. To test for readiness, it should spring back slowly leaving a small indendation if poked with your finger. Lightly oil your hands and gently stretch out dough to fill the pan if necessary. Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, leaving deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan).
- Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. Kricklewood Farm Garlic Sunflower Oil and sprinkle with Kosher Salt and Dried Rosemary. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.
