Breakfast Focaccia Recipes

BREAKFAST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Prepare the dough for basic focaccia, setting it to rise as in Step 4, above.
• While the dough is rising, heat the two tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until very lightly browned. Set aside.
• Once the focaccia dough has risen and has been placed in the pan ready to bake, as in Step 6 above, spread it with the sauteed onions. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until browned on the bottom and lightly browned on top.
• Remove from the oven and cover with slices of smoked salmon. Stir the sour cream to thin it and using a spoon, drizzle it over the smoked salmon. Cut into squares and serve.

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• 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 1/2 cup olive oil. (Chef's Note: This may seem excessive, but focaccia is an oily crusted bread. This is why it is soooooooooo delicious!).
• 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. (Chef's Note: Yes, this is strange. But when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia. If you do not make the actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.)
• 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 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.
• Oh baby!

GRAPE RICOTTA BREAKFAST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Pour the melted butter on a 12-inch round pizza pan. Place dough on pan and turn to coat with butter. Gently stretch dough to fit pan. Scatter grapes on top of dough and sprinkle fennel over all. Bake in oven, rotating the pan halfway through, until dough is brown and grapes are grapes get juice and reduce in size, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove the focaccia from the oven. Drizzle with the honey, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper evenly over all. Let focaccia cool 10 minutes or more before serving. Slice into eight wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with ricotta on the side.

EASIEST FOCACCIA RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with flour; stir well to combine. Stir in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the flour is absorbed. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly for about 1 minute.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface; knead briefly. Pat or roll the dough into a sheet and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the dough with oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake focaccia in preheated oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on desired crispness. If you like it moist and fluffy, then you'll have to wait just about 10 minutes. If you like it crunchier and darker in the outside, you may have to wait 20 minutes.

BREAKFAST FOCACCIA WITH GRAPES AND FIGS

Steps:

• To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the salt. Whisk, then stir in the flour 1/2 cup at a time to make a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and form it into a ball. Put the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Prepare a medium-hot fire (425°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.
• Lightly oil a 12 by 17-inch baking sheet. Place the dough on the pan and stretch to cover as much of the pan as possible. Dimple the top and stretch again. Cover with a towel and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
• Brush the dough with 3 tablespoons of the orange olive oil and sprinkle on the rosemary and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla turbinado sugar. Gently press the grapes, figs, and candied orange peel into the dough. Dimple the dough again. Cover with a towel to rest for another 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle on the remaining vanilla turbinado sugar and place in the oven. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining orange olive oil. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the baking sheet to further cool. Cut into serving-size squares or rectangles and serve.
• Candied Orange Peel
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest and part of the white pith from the fruit in strips. Cut the peel into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Place in a nonreactive saucepan and cover with the simple syrup. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss with the sugar and leave out uncovered overnight to let dry.
• Place in an airtight jar with half of the sugar. Reserve the remaining citrus oil-infused sugar in a separate jar for future use as a garnish or as flavored sugar.
• citrus olive oils
• Some condiment olive oils are a combination of two fruits, the olive and a citrus fruit, that have been pressed together. The process allows all the essential oils of the citrus to join with the oil of the olives. My favorite ones are from the Olive Press in Sonoma, California (see Resources). These finishing oils are wonderful as a baking ingredient, a dressing ingredient, in a marinade, or as a finishing oil simply drizzled over grilled fish or tossed onto plain pasta. They will transform the simplest of foods. Try the Meyer lemon, blood orange, and clementine oils (see Resources).
• vanilla turbinado sugar
• Turbinado sugar is a natural raw cane sugar that has not been bleached or over-processed. It is the result of slowly boiling layer upon layer of sugarcane, which allows the golden chunky crystals to retain their natural molasses and richness of flavor. Use it as an ingredient (especially to sweeten whipped cream) or sprinkle it on cookies or pie crusts. To make vanilla turbinado sugar, place a used vanilla bean pod or two in a jar of turbinado sugar and let stand for about 1 week to infuse the sugar with the vanilla flavor.