30 | November | 2015 | Bewitching Kitchen

You know you’ve been blogging for too long when you’ve got several focaccia recipes in your site… Granted, I had no intention of trying a new recipe. Instead, for our Halloween party I was set on using one of my tried and true blogged about not too long ago. However, in typical Sally fashion, I never bothered to check the recipe the day before. I knew I would be up very early and c’mon, how long can a focaccia dough take? It turns out that very long. For the recipe I had in mind, the dough goes through a fermentation overnight in the fridge. Bummer. A quick plan B was set into motion, and a ~~frantic~~ calm and collected google search took me to one of Anne Burrell’s recipes from years ago. Not surprising when Anne is concerned, her focaccia calls for a substantial amount of olive oil, more than any other I’ve ever made. I actually cut the amount a little and it was still delicious and with a crust that left our guests going back for seconds. And thirds. A very simple recipe to put together even if you decide to bake focaccia on a whim.

Anne Burrell Focaccia

ANNE BURRELL’S FOCACCIA
(slightly modified from Food TV Network)

1 3/4 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
2 tsp Herbes de Provence
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided (1/2 cup + 1/4 cup)
a little more olive oil for a final drizzle on top

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low-speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough.

Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and Herbes de Provence, then lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

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Comments: Anne Burrell’s original version calls for a full cup of olive oil, half of it for the dough and half poured on the baking sheet. I simply could not bring myself to use so much oil, so I wrote the recipe with 3/4 cup total, but it could have been just a little less than that. It was still decadent. You know how a good croissant leaves your fingers a bit coated with butter? This focaccia will do the same. As Anne likes to say… accept it and move on. Also, my personal advice for the move on part: increase your running distance a little bit next day, or add a few more push-ups and bicep curls to your routine…

DISCLAIMER

This recipe is not:

Paleo-friendly

Low-carb

Low-fat

Gluten-free

Atkins-approved

Dukan-compliant

South-Beach friendly

Ketogenic

However, it is MIGHTY TASTY!

😉