Best Harvest Focaccia Recipes

HARVEST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir in the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil while the machine is on low speed, mixing until the flour is completely moistened. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Add the salt and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. (The dough will tighten up, then begin to relax. After 5 minutes, it will be very wet and stick to the bottom of the mixer but not the sides.)
• Rub 2 tablespoons olive oil around the bottom and sides of a large mixing bowl (large enough to hold at least double the volume of dough). Transfer the dough to the bowl with a scraper or spatula, flipping once to coat completely with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Pour the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into the bottom of an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Use your hands to evenly distribute the oil along the bottom and up the sides. Scrape the dough into the baking sheet, flattening it slightly with your hands. Flip the dough once and gently stretch it to fit into an even layer in the baking sheet. (The dough may not stretch to the edges at this point. If it starts to pull back, let rest 10 minutes and re-stretch, making sure to pull from the center as well as the edges to get an even thickness.) Use your fingertips to make dimples over the surface of the focaccia, pressing firmly but not so hard you make holes in the dough.
• For the brine and toppings: Dissolve the kosher salt in 1/3 cup warm water. Drizzle over the surface of the focaccia, letting it pool in the dimples.
• Starting in the upper right corner, gently press the largest mushroom pieces into the dough and continue down and to the left, working from the largest pieces to the smallest in a curling, tapering wave shape. Fill in the spaces between the mushrooms with the arugula, radicchio, carrot slices, fennel, fennel fronds and rosemary sprigs. Let stand in a warm place for 45 minutes so the dough can relax and rise again.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the focaccia all over with flaky sea salt and sprinkle the vegetables with a couple pinches of red pepper flakes if using. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the focaccia is deep golden brown on the top and bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Drizzle with the olive oil and let rest for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the focaccia to a wire rack to cool completely.

HARVEST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl or the work bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve the yeast in the milk and add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 cup of the flour. Mix well and let stand in a warm place about 15 minutes for the yeast to activate.
• In a small saucepan, warm 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the rosemary and lemon zest. Add the grapes and raisins, mix well then add 1/2 to the yeast mixture. Mix another 1 cup flour into the yeast mixture with the dough hook attachment. Knead until smooth. With machine running, add the salt and remaining 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, kneading until smooth after each addition. Knead another 6 minutes after the addition of the last cup of flour. The dough should remain rather wet to ensure a soft and light bread. Shape the dough into a ball on a floured board and put it in an oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk about 45 minutes.
• Punch dough down and lightly sprinkle work surface with flour. Turn out dough and knead lightly. At this point, dough may be wrapped and frozen.
• To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Oil an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet. Press dough down into a flat disk with the heel of your hand. Using your fingertips, nudge the dough into a rectangle. The dough can be rolled but the pressure will produce heavier bread. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and brush with the remaining olive oil. Let rise again until doubled, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Make indentations all over the dough by pressing with your fingertips being careful not to puncture all the way through the dough. Bake 15 minutes then remove from the oven and brush with the egg. Sprinkle with the remaining grape mixture then the remaining sugar. Finish with some coarse salt. Return to the oven and continue to bake until golden brown on top and crisp on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan before cutting.

HARVEST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon yeast in medium bowl. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour and whisk until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature 3 hours. Refrigerate starter at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
• Combine starter, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon yeast in large bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with dough hook. Beat 1 minute. Add salt and remaining 3 3/4 cups flour. Beat 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and dough hook. Continue to beat until very soft, slightly sticky dough forms, about 5 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes. Scrape dough into large oiled bowl; cover with plastic. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine grapes, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon thyme in medium bowl; toss to coat. Turn mixture out onto small rimmed baking sheet. Roast until grapes begin to burst, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on sheet.
• Sprinkle large baking sheet lightly with cornmeal. Turn dough out onto prepared sheet. Using floured fingertips, pull and spread dough to approximate 18x10-inch rectangle. Press dough all over with fingertips to dimple. Brush dough with additional oil. Sprinkle with grapes, then remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, walnuts, rosemary, and lemon peel. Sprinkle with raw sugar and lightly with coarsely cracked black pepper. Cover loosely with towel; let rise until light and puffy, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake focaccia until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to board; brush edges with oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• *Also called turbinado or demerara sugar; available at natural foods stores and most supermarkets.

HARVEST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Put 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F), the yeast, 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 tablespoon each turbinado sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on medium speed until the yeast and sugar dissolve, then let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add both flours and mix on medium speed to make a smooth but sticky dough, about 4 minutes.Poke the butter pieces into the dough, spacing them evenly apart. (Do not mix.) Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.Mix the dough with the dough hook on low speed just until there are streaks of butter throughout, about 1 minute. Put the grapes and raisins in a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely and microwave until juicy, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then strain through a sieve, discarding the liquid.Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Divide the dough in half and transfer one piece to the baking sheet, leaving the other in the bowl. Cover both pieces of dough loosely with parchment paper; set aside until plump and airy, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put a pizza stone or inverted rimmed baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.Spread the dough on the baking sheet so it fills the pan, dimpling it with your fingertips. Scatter half of the grape-raisin mixture evenly on top. Put the remaining piece of dough on top and stretch and pat it to cover the bottom piece of dough. (Don't worry if the dough tears.) Scatter the walnuts and the remaining grape-raisin mixture on top; dimple the dough all over with your fingertips, poking the topping into the dough. Cover loosely with parchment and set aside until the dough rises above the sides of the baking sheet by about 1/2 inch, 35 to 40 minutes.Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the coriander, rosemary, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper; sprinkle over the dough. Place the baking sheet on the hot stone and bake 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and bake until the focaccia is golden and springs back when pressed, 20 to 30 more minutes. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; let cool in the pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly or let cool completely and freeze.Source: foodnetwork.comRecipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.