Bring a taste of Italy to your table with this foccacia recipe

Have you seen focaccia (fuh kaa chuh) on some of your favorite Italian restaurant menus and wondered exactly what it is? Is it just another name for pizza? Let’s start with the basics.

Focaccia is a type of yeasted flatbread topped with olive oil, herbs and spices. The dough is quite similar to pizza but made with more hydration, which makes it lighter and thicker. The dough is risen and stretched in a well-oiled baking pan, then dimpled with your fingertips to create little pockets to collect the olive oil drizzled on the top.

Historians believe it originated with the Etruscans of North Central Italy or in ancient Greece. The late author Carol Field wrote in The Italian Baker, “Its true home is Genoa, which is to focaccia what Naples is to pizza”.

Similar flatbreads can be found throughout the Mediterranean. Focaccia can be as simple or complex as you like, but it should be light and airy with the bottom and top crusts becoming very crunchy because of the generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.

They can be enjoyed on their own, but they are even better with myriad sweet or savory toppings such as caramelized onions, pancetta, basil shreds, rosemary sprigs, cherry tomatoes, juicy olives, red onions, grapes, feta cheese or tomato sauce.

No matter the topping, always finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil just before serving.

It’s easy to make by hand and even easier in a stand mixer. Focaccia can be served as an appetizer or main course. It can be paired with soups, salads, past, or as part of an antipasto platter. Sliced horizontally it makes a great sandwich.

Sweet focaccia, is made with honey, raisins and nuts and dusted with sugar, is an excellent breakfast bread.

Focaccia is best eaten warm from the oven, but leftover focaccia makes delicious croutons and breadcrumbs when it is stale.

Foccacia

This recipe is adapted from At the Table of La Fortezza by Annette Joseph, Rizzoli New York ($39.95).

Focaccia pairs best with white wines such as the elegant crisp North Coast Chardonnay ($18.99) from California’s Josh Cellars. As noted above, focaccia may be topped with herbs, roasted vegetables, onions, or tomatoes depending on the recipe. The wine accentuates these aromatic flavors with each bite.

Joseph writes, “It’s a great vehicle for sopping up sauces. Italians put their focaccia on the end of their fork and use it to sop up the sauce. This practice is called a scarpetta in Italian, meaning “a little shoe.”

1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast

4 cups 00 flour, plus ¼ cup for kneading (available online or in specialty markets) All-purpose flour can be substituted.

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for the baking sheet

1 tablespoon coarse salt, plus 2 teaspoons for finishing

In a large bowl, combine the yeast with ¹⁄3 cup warm water and set aside 10 minutes until bubbles form.

Stir the flour, 1 cup water, ½ cup oil, and 1 tablespoon salt into the proofed yeast to form a soft, very sticky dough.

Oil a baking sheet well and use your fingers to spread the dough, stretching it gently into the corners to fill the entire sheet. Lightly oil your fingertips and poke dimples into the top of the dough.

Let the dough rest for 1 hour at room temperature, then repeat the process of poking dimples into the risen dough. Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes. Each time the dough will puff up.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Drizzle the top of the dough with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons water, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake 30 minutes until golden brown.

Immediately out of the oven, drizzle the focaccia with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt to finish, and let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: One (13” x 15”) loaf