Focaccia (recipes)

Focaccia

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Focaccia is a savory Italian flat bread that is served as an accompaniment to soups and salads.

Ingredients:

1package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1teaspoon sugar

1-1/2cups warm water (105° to 115°F)

4cups all-purpose flour, divided

7tablespoons olive oil, divided

1teaspoon salt

10fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

5whole fresh sage leaves

1teaspoon coarse or kosher salt

Preparation:

1.To proof yeast, sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water in large bowl; stir until yeast is dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly.2.Add 3 cups flour, 3 tablespoons oil and salt to yeast mixture, stirring until soft dough forms.3.Place dough on lightly floured surface; flatten slightly. To knead dough, fold dough in half toward you and press dough away from you with heels of hands. Give dough a quarter turn and continue folding, pushing and turning. Continue kneading 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding remaining 1 cup flour to prevent sticking, if necessary. Shape dough into ball; place in large greased bowl. Turn dough over so that top is greased. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm place 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.4.To test dough, lightly press 2 fingertips 1/2 inch into dough. Dough is ready if indentations remain when fingertips are removed.5.Grease 15-1/2X10-1/2-inch jelly-roll pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Punch down dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; sprinkle with chopped sage. Knead dough several times to distribute sage evenly. Let dough stand 5 minutes to rest.6.Flatten dough into rectangle on lightly floured surface. Roll out dough almost to size of pan with lightly floured rolling pin. Place dough in pan; stretch out and pat to edges of pan.7.Poke surface of dough with end of wooden spoon handle, making indentations every inch or two. Brush with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Press remaining 5 sage leaves gently on top; sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.8.Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 12 rectangles. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1 focaccia rectangle

Fiber

1 g

Carbohydrate

28 g

Saturated Fat

1 g

Total Fat

7 g

Calories from Fat

34 %

Calories

192

Protein

4 g

Sodium

334 mg

Dietary Exchange:

Fat

2

Starch

2

Other ways:

An Italian olive-oil bread, quite flat and usually round or square. It has an almost cake-like texture and is often flavoured with herbs such as rosemary, sage or basil, perhaps olives or tapenade, and sometimes has a filling of ham or cheese. It' s fun to experiment making your own with various toppings and fillings.It’s become very popular in the past few years and you should be able to buy various types of focaccia, including a ready-to-bake version, which just needs finishing off in a pre-heated oven for a few minutes. Cut it into generous wedges to serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.Focaccia stuffed with tomato, ricotta and pesto Onion, spinach and prosciutto focaccia

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