Saturday, August 4, 2012

Focaccia

Focaccia is such a versatile bread.

You can top it with really anything you like before baking and suddenly you have a bread that's ready to be the star of a meal. All you need is to add a soup or a salad and dinner is served.

Today I topped a batch of focaccia with slices of baby zucchini from my garden, smashed chickpeas, garlic, rosemary and cheddar cheese. It was a vegetarian delight!

Focaccia with Chickpeas and Zucchini

 Dough:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. Add salt and olive oil. Add flour a cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Set dough on a greased sheetpan and press into a rectangle. Let rise for 30 minutes.
The shaped dough rising.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make dimples all over the bread with your fingertips and add desired toppings.

Toppings:
A drizzle of olive oil
Sliced zucchini
Chopped garlic
Chopped fresh rosemary
Canned chickpeas, smashed with a fork
Fresh ground black pepper
Coarse salt
Shredded cheddar cheese
Smashing the chickpeas.
Fresh rosemary and a sliced baby zucchini.
A topped focaccia before baking.
Ready to eat!

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve.


No comments:

Post a Comment