Fennel Focaccia Recipes

CLASSIC FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt and yeast. Add the warm water to the flour mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated and a sticky dough forms. (Expect a very wet dough; no kneading required.) Pour 2 tablespoons oil into a medium bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turn to coat, and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 24 hours or for up to 2 days.
• When you're ready to bake, brush the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with oil. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer to the prepared pan. Using your hands, spread the dough out as much as possible, adding oil to the dough if needed to keep it from sticking. (Don't worry if the dough doesn't yet cover the full pan; it will once it relaxes and rises.) Place the dough in a warm place and let rise until about doubled in bulk. The rising time will vary considerably depending on the season. (In the summer, it may take only 20 minutes for the dough to warm up and rise; in the winter, it can take 1 hour or more.) When the dough is ready, it should be room temperature, spread out on the sheet and fluffy.
• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Using your palms, pat down the focaccia to an even thickness of about 1 inch, then, using your fingertips, dimple the entire dough. Drizzle it with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the entire surface of the focaccia evenly with the sea salt and herbs, if using.
• Bake, rotating once front to back, until the top is uniformly golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the focaccia on the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool, then slide out of the pan. Enjoy it hot. (Focaccia deteriorates in quality after the first day. If there is some left over, wrap it tightly in plastic and store at room temperature for another day. Day-old focaccia is delicious in soup.)

FENNEL SEED FOCACCIA WITH KALAMATA OLIVES

Steps:

• Make starter:
• Mix flour and yeast in 8- to 10-cup bowl. Using wooden spoon, stir in 3/4 cup water; beat until smooth soft dough forms, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Cover with plastic; let stand 30 minutes. Chill overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before continuing.
• Make dough:
• Stir 1/4 cup warm water and yeast in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Add starter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cool water. Using wooden spoon, mix starter and water 1 minute (mixture will look milky and foamy). Mix in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 4 teaspoons salt, milk and fennel. Add 3 1/3 cups bread flour, about 1 cup at a time, mixing until very soft sticky dough forms.
• Knead dough gently on floured surface until dough comes together but is still sticky, sprinkling with more flour and loosening dough from surface with pastry scraper, about 5 minutes. Return to same bowl. Cover with plastic; let rest until firmer and less sticky, about 20 minutes.
• Knead dough gently on floured surface until supple and elastic, sprinkling with flour to prevent sticking, about 5 minutes. Push dough out to 12-inch square. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup chopped olives; fold dough over olives. Knead gently to distribute olives; shape into ball.
• Oil large bowl with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Uncover; fold dough edges in toward center. Turn dough over, releasing some air but deflating as little as possible. Cover; let rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Oil 17x11-inch baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Turn out dough onto pan. Without deflating dough, gently stretch and push dough to cover pan. If dough springs back, let rest 5 minutes, then stretch. Repeat resting and stretching until dough stays in place. Press quartered olives over surface. Indent dough with fingertips in several places. Let rise until puffy, about 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle dough with 1 teaspoon salt. Place pan in oven. Spray oven with water 8 times. Close door 1 minute. Open and spray several times more. Close door; bake focaccia 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake focaccia until golden and crusty, about 12 minutes longer. Cool focaccia on rack 30 minutes.

FOCACCIA WITH CLEMENTINE AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stretch the pizza dough to fit the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Evenly distribute the clementine slices, shaved fennel and fennel seeds over the dough, pushing them gently into the dough. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and drizzle with an additional teaspoon of olive oil if desired.
• Bake the focaccia until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

LEMON FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine yeast and 2 1/2 cups flour with 2 cups water; whisk to combine. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Add remaining 2 1/2 cups flour and salt; mix until well combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until wet and tacky, but not sticky, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until doubled in size, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
• Oil a large rimmed baking sheet and press dough evenly into baking sheet. Let rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cover dough with Pecorino Pepato and lemon slices and sprinkle with rosemary leaves and salt; drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate baking sheet, and continue baking until lemons and crust are golden brown, about 15 minutes more.
• Remove bread from baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast and sugar over 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve, and let stand 10 minutes, until the mixture is foamy. Add remaining 2 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 cups flour, and salt; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Gradually add 4 cups flour, using your hands once mixture becomes too thick to stir. If dough is still too wet, add just enough of the remaining cup flour until it is no longer sticky.
• Turn out dough onto a clean work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, using any remaining flour, if needed. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer dough to an oiled 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet; stretch to fill sheet, and press to form an even thickness. If dough shrinks back, cover with a damp towel, and let rest 10 minutes before proceeding. Once dough fills sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel; let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
• Using your fingers, make dimplelike indentations all over surface of dough. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; spread with your hands to coat evenly.
• Place baking sheet in oven. Toss a cup of ice cubes into bottom of oven to create steam (if using a gas oven, place a small baking dish of ice water on oven floor). Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through; avoid opening oven any more than necessary or the steam will escape. Transfer focaccia to a wire rack to cool.

EASY FESTIVE FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Spread pizza crust over the surface to fit.
• Stir together 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, parsley, kosher salt, and pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush oil mixture over the dough. Make indentations all over the surface of the dough by pressing your finger or the end of a wooden spoon into it.
• Create a festive wreath or Christmas tree shape in the center of the dough with rosemary sprigs, cherry tomatoes, and olives. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown, about 17 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.