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making focaccia

Let's make focaccia, according to the traditional Italian toppings and flavors used in the hometown that my mother was born and raised. I'm sharing the step-by-step recipe for working with either our Italian Master Dough, or our no knead bread dough recipe to get these beautiful results. In my overall post on making focaccia, I share other creative ways to top focaccia, and ways to provide added height and texture, to this intensely satisfying bread-style pizza.
Author: Mili Takashima

Ingredients

  • prepared dough recipe In the photos I'm using Master Dough recipe. On a regular basis, I tend to use my No Knead Dough recipe.
  • deep-dish metal pan
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil The amount oil depends on the size of pan and amount of dough you are using. You'll want enough to completely cover the bottom of the pan and enough to be saturated at the top of the dough.
  • 3/4-1 cup either smooth tomato sauce or diced tomatoes without the liquid The texture is about personal preference and what you have on-hand. In my blog post, I share how I created focaccia both ways.
  • 1/2-3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt Use enough to moderately and evenly sprinkle over the top of the dough. Add more to taste.
  • 2 teaspoons garlic two minced cloves or enough granulated garlic sprinkled to evenly top the dough.
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4-1/3 cup grated Parmesan Regianno cheese Add more or less, according to what you like best.

Instructions

  • Prepare the dough. Either of my dough recipes dough-making process take under 8 minutes after ingredients are prepped. The dough will need to proof/rise for one hour before it is ready to work with.
  • To make focaccia, takes one half of one risen-batch of our Master Dough recipe, and for my favorite thick-style of focaccia, I'm making two batches of my No Knead Bread Dough.
  • When you are ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Farenheight, or 190 degrees Celcius. Prepare your toppings. Extra virgin olive oil is a requirement for a true focaccia.
  • In a deep-dish baking pan, pour the olive oil into the bottom.
  • With your hand, spread the oil to thourally cover the bottom.
  • With your hands, pull and stretch the dough to fit the pan.
  • Next, hold the dough and flip it to the other side, so that the bottom that soaked in some of the olive oil, is now at the top.
  • Finish shaping with a final stretch to fit the pan.
  • If you have not used a signifiant amount or all of the olive oil at the bottom of the pan and the top is not thourally oiled, you can add more at this time. You do not want the top of the bottom to be dry of oil.
  • Use your fingers to apply a soft amount of pressure, to evenly press into the dough, creating craters.
  • Time to add the tomatoes. If you are using tomato sauce, pour it on. If you are using diced tomatoes, place them evenly.
  • Make sure the tomatoes have covered the top. We leave a crust without toppings around the edge.
  • Sprinke-on coarse salt.
  • Add garlic: either granulated garlic or minced garlic.
  • If using fresh-minced garlic, with your fingers, spread it evenly over the sauce, or keep little garlic pockets. It is up to you.
  • Next, sprinkle the cheese. With focaccia, we use a spare amount of dry-style, grated cheese like Parmesan, or a Parmesan-Romano blend. Grated by hand from a block is the preferred method.
  • Take the dried Oregano in the palm of your hand.
  • Place your other palm on top, and crush the whole pieces by firmly pressing them together, and moving your palms in opposite directions.
  • The fresh-crushed oregano, using whole herb pieces, versus the ground/over-processed variety, offers more flavor and a better result.
  • We always clap any excess from our hands onto the top, so that nothing goes to waste.
  • If you have the time, I recommend covering the dough to allow another 30 minutes to rise.
    Once ready to bake, we'll put our fingers down into the dough once again - working your way down in rows.
  • Time to bake! Place in the middle, to bottom-middle rack of your oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, depending on the golden color you are looking for.
  • For our oven, 45 minutes seems to be the the time, to get this beautiful color and crisp edge with a very tender, airy, bread-like center. All of the olive oil will soak in into the dough when it is baked, so that the pan itself and the pizza, will not be greasy.
  • We tend to cut focaccia with a pair of kitchen/larger scissors or a large serrated knife. We cut pieces into square sized servings, and those who know take preference for pillowy middle slices or corner pieces that have extra crispness.
  • This disappears quickly at our house. Focaccia, like pizza, offers the best texture and finish when it is eaten fresh-made or the same day. Extras can be stored in a sealed container and kept out at room temperature or refrigerated, for up to two days.

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