Dried Cherry Focaccia From Ecce Panis Recipes

DRIED-FRUIT FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cherries and raisins with the boiling water; let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain fruit, reserving 2 cups of the soaking liquid; set fruit aside. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the soaking liquid. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, granulated sugar, yeast, salt, and cinnamon; mix just to combine. With mixer on low speed, add reserved fruit and soaking liquid. Mix until the fruit is evenly distributed but the dough is still tacky, about 3 minutes.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead for 1 minute. Pour 1/2 cup olive oil onto a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet, coating the bottom completely. Place the dough on top of the oil, and use your hands to spread it out as much as possible without tearing (it doesn't have to fit the pan). Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap, and continue to pat and press the dough toward the edges. Set pan in a warm place, and let rest, pressing out the dough every 10 minutes until it fills the pan, about 45 minutes. Let rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the floor of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Using your fingers press dimples into dough. Drizzle dough with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with sanding sugar. Set the baking sheet directly on the stone and bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until focaccia is deep golden brown on top and bottom, 35 to 45 minutes. Immediately slide the focaccia onto a cutting board to cool. Use a pizza wheel or a serrated knife to cut bread into triangles, and serve warm. Focaccia can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for 2 to 3 days.

DRIED CHERRY FOCACCIA (FROM ECCE PANIS)

Steps:

• Combine the cherries and raisins in a deep bowl, barely cover with water and soak for two to three hours, or until plumped. Drain well, reserving one and a quarter cups of the soaking water, and spread the fruit on paper towels to dry off a bit.
• Combine one cup of the reserved soaking water with the honey and place in the freezer until very cold; a few ice crystals are all right.
• Put the remaining quarter-cup of soaking water in the medium-sized bowl of an electric mixer and add the yeast. When the yeast dissolves and foams, stir in the chilled soaking water, orange zest and salt. If using a heavy-duty mixer with a dough hook, add three-and-a-quarter cups of flour. If using a household mixer with two beaters, add three-and-a-half cups of flour.
• Beat the dough on low speed until very elastic, smooth and shiny, forming a single mass around the beater. This will take 12 to 20 minutes depending on the mixer. The dough will eventually climb the beaters of household machines and must be pushed down repeatedly with a wooden spoon. When ready, it will be soft, wet and slightly sticky.
• Remove the beaters and knead in the butter by hand, then knead in the drained fruits. Put the dough in a lightly buttered shallow bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least eight hours but preferably overnight. Dough may be held for 36 hours before the next step.
• Line a large flat pan or two cookie sheets with parchment and sprinkle generously with cornmeal. Divide the dough into two rounds and roll each on a lightly floured board until three-eighths-of-an-inch thick. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet and allow them to rise, covered with plastic wrap, until they are puffy and hold an impression when dented with a fingertip, about an hour. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with the cream and set aside.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Use the fingertips to gently pockmark the surfaces of the rounds, then brush with the glaze and sprinkle with sugar. There may be glaze left over.
• Bake for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375 and bake 20 to 30 minutes more, or until richly browned. Invert on racks to cool, then turn glaze side up and dust with confectioners' sugar.

FOCACCIA PIZZA

Steps:

• Add the flour, salt and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Add the water, honey and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to a 2-cup measuring cup. Whisk to combine. Add the water mixture to the mixer bowl and use a rubber spatula to incorporate the ingredients slightly. Attach the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed until the mixture forms into a ball and no loose flour is left at the base of the bowl, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour the remaining olive oil into a 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto the baking sheet. Turn it once to coat all the sides of the dough in the olive oil. Cover the pan with an inverted baking sheet of the same size and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Remove the top baking sheet and, using the tips of your fingers, delicately stretch the dough until it almost reaches the edges of the pan. Cover again with the rimmed baking sheet and let the dough rest while you make the Sauce (see recipe below).
• Uncover the dough and delicately stretch the dough to reach all the edges of the pan again. If the dough springs back too much, let the dough sit for another 5 to 10 minutes before trying to stretch it further. Once the dough is stretched to fit the pan, top it with the sauce. Cover the sauce completely with the pepperoni, then top the pepperoni with the sliced cheese. Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the cheese is lightly browned in spots and the crust is golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and use a large spatula to transfer it to a cutting board. Top with dried oregano, red pepper flakes and Parmesan. Cut into 16 squares and serve immediately.
• Add the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, sugar and garlic to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

SOUR CHERRY AND ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Whisk flour, water, and yeast with a mixer on medium speed until combined. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until tripled in volume and bubbling, about 2 hours.
• Add 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to bowl. Switch to dough-hook attachment, and mix on low speed for 5 minutes. Raise speed to medium, and mix for 30 seconds. (Dough should be loose and sticky.)
• Turn out dough onto a well- floured surface using a dough scraper. Fold bottom edge of dough up toward the center, and pat gently to deflate.Fold top edge down toward the center, and pat gently. (Folds should overlap slightly.) Repeat with left and right sides, tapping off excess flour as you work. (Dough will be difficult to handle, but try not to incorporate too much flour.) Gently flip dough into a lightly floured bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface, and repeat folding process. Transfer dough to lightly floured bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour 1/3 cup oil onto a 13-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet, coating entire surface. Turn out dough onto baking sheet, coating bottom with oil. Push dough out toward edges of baking sheet using your fingertips. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 15 minutes, pressing dough toward edges occasionally.
• Drizzle dough with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Scatter cherries over top, and sprinkle with sugar and rosemary.
• Bake in lower third of oven or on a pizza stone placed on the oven floor, rotating halfway through, until bottom is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Immediately slide focaccia out of baking sheet onto a wire rack. Drizzle with any oil left in pan. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

DRIED CHERRY AND GOLDEN RAISIN SWEET FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a bowl combine the cherries, the raisins and the water, let the fruit soak for 10 minutes, or until it is softened, and drain the mixture, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. In a small saucepan heat the reserved liquid over low heat until it is lukewarm. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment proof the yeast with the granulated sugar in the warm liquid for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy, add the flour, the salt, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the butter, and combine the dough well. Knead the dough with the dough hook for 2 minutes, or until it is soft and slightly sticky, transfer it to a lightly floured surface, and knead in the fruit mixture, patted dry, until it is incorporated thoroughly. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is double in bulk. The dough may be made up to this point, punched down, and kept, covered and chilled, overnight. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. Press the dough evenly into an oiled jelly-roll pan, 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1 inches, and let it rise, covered loosely, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is almost double in bulk.
• Dimple the dough, making 1/4-inch-deep indentations with your fingertips, and sprinkle it with the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar. Bake the focaccia in the bottom third of a preheated 400°F. for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is golden brown, let it cool in the pan on a rack, and serve it warm or at room temperature.

CHERRY-ALMOND FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Punch down dough. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet (about 16x12") with 1 tablespoon oil. Press dough evenly into pan, leaving a 1 1/2" border. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm, draft-free area until puffed but not doubled in size, 45-50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring cherry syrup and granulated sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; let cool completely.
• Arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 400°F. Using your fingertips, press dimples all over dough surface. Drizzle dough with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Scatter cherries over, pressing them gently into dough. Drizzle reduced syrup over, allowing it to pool into nooks and crannies. Sprinkle almonds over, then raw sugar. Let rise until dough is doubled in size, 15-20 minutes.
• Bake until focaccia is golden brown, 20-23 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.