Best Zuni Cafés Focaccia Recipes

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THE BEST FOCACCIA



The Best Focaccia image

It's easy to make classic focaccia at home. Our version is airy and slightly chewy, with a delicate golden crust. A drizzle of salt water over the dough during the final rise gives the bread a deeper flavor.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 3h45m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

6 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 cups warm water (80 to 85 degrees F)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray, for the plastic wrap
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

  • For the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook on low speed, stir in the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 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 (big enough to hold at least double the volume of the dough). Using a scraper or spatula, transfer the dough to the bowl, flipping once to coat completely with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 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 finish: Dissolve the kosher salt in 1/3 cup warm water. Drizzle over the surface of the focaccia, letting it pool in the dimples. Cover loosely with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to relax and rise again.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once 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 sit for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the focaccia to a wire rack to cool completely.

ZUNI CAFé'S SMALL-BATCH AIOLI



Zuni Café's Small-Batch Aioli image

Zuni Café in San Francisco makes a traditional aioli with only four ingredients: garlic, egg yolk, olive oil and salt. No lemon or vinegar, no mustard, no pepper. Quarts of aioli are produced daily, mounted by hand with a wire whisk. You can, of course, make aioli with an electric blender or food processor in a matter of seconds, but, in "The Zuni Café Cookbook," the chef Judy Rodgers describes how to make aioli with a mortar and pestle, the old-fashioned way. It takes patience, but the result is sublime. Choose a mild-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, perhaps a French one, or use a mixture of half-olive oil and half-neutral-tasting vegetable oil.

Provided by David Tanis

Categories     quick, condiments, sauces and gravies

Time 20m

Yield About 1/2 cup

Number Of Ingredients 4

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
Salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup mild-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Steps:

  • Cut garlic into a few pieces, and pound them in a mortar. Add a pinch of salt, which will act as an abrasive and help you smash the last solid bits of garlic.
  • Add the egg yolk and stir with the pestle to combine the mixture. Using the pestle, work in oil, a cautious trickle or a few drops at first, then gradually increasing the flow as the yolk becomes tacky and opaque.
  • Slowly stir in remaining oil, or as much as you can. As the yolk reaches saturation, the mixture will make a satisfying clucking sound (The aioli will be quite thick at this point.)
  • Stir in a few drops of water. The water will whiten and soften the aioli, allowing you to add a little more oil, in case the garlic seems too aggressive when you taste the aioli. You'll need the water in any event, or the sauce will be too stiff. (Stirring in 1/2 teaspoon water will allow you to incorporate as much as 1/2 cup more oil.) Stop adding oil when the sauce has the consistency you like. Taste and adjust salt, and thin again with a little more water, if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 250, UnsaturatedFat 23 grams, Carbohydrate 0 grams, Fat 28 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 72 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams

FOCACCIA



Focaccia image

Focaccia is one of my favorite bread recipes. It's one of the least labor-intensive since there isn't any kneading. The dough is very wet, which is perfect for a tender, yet chewy, bread with a very distinct salt bite. -James Schend, Taste of Home Deputy Editor

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 45m

Yield 2 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°), divided
1 tablespoon honey
3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, optional

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2-cup warm water and honey; let stand for 5 minutes. Add flour, 1/4 cup oil, salt and remaining 3/4-cup water; mixing until smooth (dough will be wet). Scrape the sides of the bowl clean; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes., Preheat oven to 425°. Brush a 13x9-in. baking pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Gently scrape dough directly into pan. With oiled hands, gently spread dough. If dough springs back, wait 10 minutes and stretch again. Make indentations in the dough with your fingers. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; let rise until doubled in size, 30-40 minutes. , If desired, sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cut into squares; serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 95 calories, Fat 4g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 61mg sodium, Carbohydrate 13g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 2g protein.

ZUNI CAFé'S HAMBURGER



Zuni Café's Hamburger image

Made to exacting standards, the hamburger at Zuni Café, in San Francisco, is legendary. First, grass-fed beef is salted well in advance of grinding, which gives the meat its succulence. Grilled over coals and flipped three times to prevent it from overcharring or becoming tough, the patty is rested, like a roast. It is then served on a toasted square of rosemary focaccia, smeared with handmade aioli and accompanied by Zuni's acclaimed house pickles: fuchsia-red onion rings and turmeric-tinged sliced zucchini. With all the attention to detail, you'll see why a Zuni burger sells for $18. It is wonderful on its own, but toppings like Shelburne Farms Cheddar, Bayley Hazen blue cheese, grilled onions or portobello mushroom are also available, and most customers can't resist a heaping plate of shoestring potatoes alongside. It's perfectly possible to make these burgers at home, but know that the full project involves several recipes, so it's probably best to spread the work out over a few days.

Provided by David Tanis

Categories     dinner, lunch, burgers, main course

Time P1DT1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, well marbled
1 generous teaspoon kosher salt
Focaccia (see recipe)
Small-batch aioli (see recipe)
Red oak leaf or other lettuce leaves, for garnish
Zucchini pickles (see recipe)
Red onion pickles (see recipe)

Steps:

  • Cut meat into 1-inch chunks or strips. Sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat well, and refrigerate, covered, for about 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
  • Assemble your meat grinder, using the grinder plate with 3/16-inch holes. Chill the grinder in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes or refrigerate for several hours. With motor set to medium speed, drop cold meat into grinding tube and let the machine pull pieces through (resist forcing the meat through with pushing tool) into a chilled bowl. Grind the meat twice. (You may also hand-chop the meat in small batches or use a food processor with a very sharp blade, but the patties will be a bit more fragile.)
  • Working quickly, form 6-ounce patties by hand, first making spheres, then flattening them to a 3/4-inch thickness. Press patties slightly thinner in the middle. (This ensures an even thickness in the finished burgers.) Keep patties refrigerated until ready to cook.
  • If grilling, prepare your coals. Grill patties over medium-hot coals, flipping them three times to make sure they don't char. A cold 6-ounce patty will take about 9 minutes for a rosy medium-rare. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes off the heat, as you would a roast, before serving. If using a preheated cast-iron pan over medium heat, cook burgers for about 10 minutes, also flipping three times, plus resting.
  • To serve, warm a piece of focaccia for each burger and split the bread horizontally. Smear the bottom half with a dab of aioli, the add lettuce leaves and the cooked burger. Top with the other half of the focaccia. Serve with zucchini pickles and red onion pickles.

ZUNI CAFé'S ZUCCHINI PICKLES



Zuni Café's Zucchini Pickles image

At San Francisco's Zuni Café, these turmeric-tinged zucchini pickles are served with a hamburger, but they are also delicious paired with charcuterie, pâtés and smoked fish. Easy to make and wonderful to have on hand, they keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Provided by David Tanis

Categories     pickles

Time 1h

Yield 2 pints

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 pound zucchini, ends trimmed
1 small yellow onion, peeled
2 generous tablespoons kosher salt
Ice water and ice cubes
2 cups apple-cider vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow or brown mustard seeds, or a combination
1 teaspoon turmeric

Steps:

  • With a mandolin, cut zucchini lengthwise (or crosswise, if you prefer) in 1/16-inch slices. Cut onion crosswise the same thickness.
  • Place zucchini and onion in a low wide bowl, toss with salt and cover with ice water. Add a few ice cubes. Leave for 1 hour, until faintly salty and slightly softened when tasted. Drain, discard ice and dry vegetables thoroughly between kitchen towels. Rinse and dry bowl.
  • Make the brine: Combine vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds and turmeric in a nonreactive saucepan, and simmer over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside until just warm to the touch.
  • Return zucchini to the bowl and pour cooled brine over, then stir to distribute spices.
  • Transfer mixture and brine to pint jars and refrigerate for at least a day before serving.

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