Ingredients:
For the dough:
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1tbs Active Dry Yeast 1 tsp Salt
1 tbs Olive Oil
1cup Water
Toppings:
1/4 Cup Green Olives
1 Cup Shredded Chicken
1 Sliced Onion
1 Diced Tomato
1 TSP Dried Basil
1 TSP Dried Oregano
Red Cayenne Pepper flakes (optional)
Yield: Makes two 12 inch Focaccias or one big Focaccia.
Method:
1. Heat 1 cup of water for 35 seconds in the microwave. It should feel lukewarm on your wrist. Mix 1 tbs active dry yeast and 1 tsp granulated sugar. If the yeast is active within 3 - 4 minutes it would become frothy and begin to rise to the surface, otherwise it will be flat which means it is stale so should not be used for baking.
2. In a food processor pulse to combine 3 cups of sifted all purpose flour and salt. Pour the yeast solution through the feed tube and pulse 3 or 4 times until well incorporated and the whole mixture forms a ball. Add 1 tbs olive oil and pulse for 2 - 3 seconds till the dough becomes springy and starts to spin which means it is kneaded enough.
3. Remove the dough from the food processor bowl and with greased hands shape it into a ball by gathering towards the bottom and pinching to close, then place it in a greased bowl, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm dry place on the counter to rise - 45 minutes to an hour till it is double in size. But yes, you have to check to see if your dough passed the window pane test. Donna Currie in her article on Serious Eats describes how to test "if the gluten has developed well enough for it to hold the bubbles while it rises, and stretch even more as the gases expand from the heat."
4. Place the puffed up dough in the centre of a greased pizza pan and slowly start spreading the dough outward by pressing gently and evenly with the tip of your fingers greased with olive oil till it covers the entire circumference of the pizza pan and is shaped into a 12 - 14 inch circle as big as the pizza pan. Alternatively you could just press the dough on a lightly floured surface and start working on it with your fingers using the same technique till you stretch it to form a 12 - 14 inch circle. Transfer to a pizza pan or stone.
5. Drizzle olive oil generously on the surface of the crust, then with the help of a fork prick everywhere. Alternatively you could use your fingers to make depressions all over. This is done to prevent the bubbles from popping up while baking.
6. Sprinkle dried oregano and basil on the crust. Then use toppings of your choice. Below are pictures of focaccia with different toppings.
7. The focaccia in the above picture has shredded chicken, diced fresh tomatoes, onions, green olives as toppings.
8. Focaccia with Mushrooms, Black Olives and Mozzarella Cheese.
9. Sun Dried Tomatoes and Onions focaccia.
10. Portobello Mushrooms and Cheddar Cheese Focaccia. Enjoy!
