Best Harvest Pazzo Recipes

HARVEST FOCCACIA

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, cover bowl with tea towel and let stand in a warm place about 15 minutes for the yeast to activate. Place risen dough in mixer, set aside.
• Take a large saute pan and heat it dry over medium-high heat. Pour in 1 cup of the olive oil and add rosemary. Add grapes, and raisins, mix together and allow to cool.
• Begin to mix the dough, slowly, and mix another 4 cups of flour in to the yeast mixture with the dough hook attachment, then add a pinch of gray salt. Add half of the olive oil/grape mixture into dough. Knead until smooth with hands. Form the dough into a ball. Place some olive oil in large bowl to coat the sides. Place dough ball into bowl, and cover with tea towel. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise in refrigerator until doubled in bulk about 45 minutes, or up to overnight for a fuller rise.
• The next day, take the risen dough, and place in mixing bowl. With more olive oil from the grape/raisin mixture, 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 1/3 cup olive oil. Cover with tea towel, and let rise again until doubled, 30 to 40 minutes.
• To bake, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bake 15 minutes then remove from the oven and brush with the egg. Sprinkle with the remaining grape mixture then the remaining sugar. Top with lemon zest and finish with some coarse salt. Return to the oven and continue to bake until golden brown on top and crisp on the bottom, about 7 or 8 minutes. Let cool in the pan before cutting.

STRAWBERRY PAZZO CAKE WITH HERBED CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• For the Crème Fraîche: Stir together the crème fraîche and the herbs. Refrigerate and let sit for 30 minutes or overnight.
• For the Cake: Butter a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or 8-by-8-inch enameled cast-iron baking pan (if cooking in the grill) or standard 8-by-8-inch baking pan (if baking in your oven). (Don't put a standard baking pan inside your grill or over a fire.) Ignite the coals, turn a gas grill to high, or preheat an oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed until the mixture looks creamy, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix just until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until smooth with a creamy texture.
• Pour the batter into the buttered pan. Arrange the strawberry halves, cut-side down, on top of the cake batter. Don't overlap the berries; use just enough strawberries for one layer and set aside the rest to use as garnish.
• TO BAKE IN A GRILL: When the grill reaches 350°F, slide in the cake, resting the pan on the grill rack, close the grill's lid and let it bake for at least 20 minutes with the grill lid closed. Test the cake: It's done when a skewer inserted into the center (but not in a strawberry) comes out clean and the cake is golden brown on top.
• TO BAKE IN AN OVEN: Bake for 10 minutes and then decrease the heat to 325°F and bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center (but not in a strawberry) comes out clean and the cake is golden brown on top.
• For the Glaze: While the cake is baking, in a small pan combine the balsamic vinegar, sugar, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and remove from the heat right away. Set it aside until the cake has baked. It should be the consistency of maple syrup; if it thickens too much before the cake comes out of the oven, stir in a few more spoonfuls of vinegar. As soon as the cake comes off the heat, drizzle the top with about three-fourths of the balsamic glaze.
• When the cake has cooled, cut it into wedges if baked in a skillet; if baked in a standard baking pan, cut it into squares. To garnish simply, top with a light dusting of confectioners' sugar. To dress up the cake, spoon several tablespoons of the Roasted Strawberries onto one side of each plate; on the other side of the plate drizzle a small pool of the balsamic glaze, and smear it lightly with the back of a spoon. Drizzle more balsamic glaze over the cake if you like. Set a cake slice on top the strawberry syrup, and top the cake with a spoonful of Herbed Crème Fraîche. Spoon any remaining crème fraîche into a bowl and set on a platter with leftover halved strawberries to pass so guests can add extra if they like.

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:

• 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.