Focaccia with Saffron, Garlic, and Red Pepper
Region: Italy
Category: Pizza and Focaccia
Season: Any
Difficulty: Medium Difficulty

A focaccia is something like a thick cross between bread and pizza.  It can be seasoned in a variety of ways, with olives, raisins, fennel seed, cheeses, salami, garlic, or onions being most popular ingredients.  I usually serve this focaccia along with bread at meals and it is excellent dipped into tomato sauce.  If you do not have an electric mixer you can make the focaccia by hand by kneading it on a floured surface for 12 minutes in Step 1.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 1 pan-tray loaf to serve 8
Preparation Time: 8 hours

2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

1 2/3 cups warm water

5 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pinches saffron threads

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon medium-coarse sea salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the yeast, water, 5 cups flour, 1/4 cup olive oil, saffron, garlic, red pepper and 2 ½ teaspoons salt and beat with the dough hook attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Knead the dough at medium-high speed until soft, smooth, and sticky, 4 minutes.

2. Turn the dough out into a lightly floured surface and knead in 2 tablespoons flour. Knead the dough 1 minute (it will still be slightly sticky), then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn several times to coat the dough with oil. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size in a warm, draft-less place such as a turned-off electric oven, 2 to 3 hours.

3. Generously oil a baking pan as close to the following dimensions as possible, 15 x 10 x 1 inch, and press the dough over its entire surface or a good portion of its surface. Cover completely with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F.

5. Stir together the rosemary and remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Make shallow indentations all over the dough with your fingertips, then brush the surface of the dough with the oil and rosemary mixture, letting it pool in the indentations. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt and bake in the middle of the oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the pan with a large or offset spatula (it will come up easily because of the oil) and let it rest on a rack until warm but not hot. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variation: 

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Posted: 12/28/2006