Focaccia

Stuffing/Toppings:

Olive oil, freshly crushed pepper, Pickled sweet bell pepper, fresh plum tomatoes, olives, Fresh basil, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Mix the water and 1/16 teaspoon yeast, then add the flour, stirring till the flour is fully incorporated. The starter will be paste-like; it won’t form a ball.

Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 14 hours; the starter will be bubbly.

To make the dough:

If you’re using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a teaspoon of sugar in ¼ cup of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you’re using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remaining dough ingredients, including the starter, mix and knead by hand or a stand mixer, to make soft, smooth dough. If you’re kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, it should have doubled in bulk from its original volume.

Roll half the dough into a rectangle about 14 x 10 inches in size. Grease a 9 X 13-inch pan with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan. If it shrinks, allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then gently press and stretch it so that it covers the bottom and comes up a bit just along the sides of the pan. Brush with olive oil, and season with freshly crushed pepper.

Layer the filling on top of the dough, I used pickled sweet bell pepper, fresh plum tomatoes, olives and mozzarella cheese, leaving about 1/2 inch bare around all the edges.

Roll out the other piece of dough, and settle it atop the filling. Press the top and bottom crusts together, and then roll the edge of the bottom crust up over the edge of the top; the goal is to form a leak-proof seal.

Cover the pan with a plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour. The focaccia won’t double in size, but will become puffy. Using your fingertips, press the dough down to create small random indentations. Brush the top with oil, place the required toppings, and sprinkle with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired. Use a wooden skewer to prick the top of the crust in several places, to allow steam to escape and to prevent bubbles.

Bake the focaccia in a preheated 220°C oven for 25 to 35 minutes, until it is golden brown. You will find that because of the oil, the crust will brown quickly; tent it with aluminum foil if it appears to be getting browner than you like before the 20 to 25 minutes is up. Just 5 minutes before removing the focaccia from the oven, sprinkle with freshly plucked and chopped basil leaves and grated parmesan cheese.f2

Remove the focaccia from the oven, and slip it out of the pan onto a rack to cool a bit. You don’t want to leave the focaccia in the pan, as the bottom will steam and become soggy.

Slice and serve the focaccia warm or at room temperature.