Mushroom Focaccia Recipes

CRISPY MUSHROOM FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir the flour, yeast, salt, water and oil together until well combined. The ingredients should come together easily to form a wet dough, about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl and let rise at room temperature for at least 8 hours and no more than 10 hours. (You can refrigerate at this point for up to 18 hours, then allow to come to room temperature before stippling.)
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the mushrooms: Use a paring knife to trim the mushrooms and cut them into medium-large pieces, leaving smaller mushrooms whole whenever possible because they will shrink when they roast. On a baking sheet, toss the mushrooms with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Spread the mushrooms in an even layer and roast until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. They should shrink a lot, but should only just begin to brown. Set aside to cool.
• When the dough has fully risen, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil onto a baking sheet and spread all over the baking sheet with your hands. Pour the risen dough onto the baking sheet, and use your fingers to spread and stipple the dough until about 1/2-inch thick. Don't worry if your dough doesn't stretch much at first; it will be easier after it rests. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and stipple again, but don't let it thin out too much. (It's more important that it remains the appropriate thickness, not that it fills the whole pan.) Arrange the cooled mushrooms in an even layer on top of the dough.
• Top the focaccia with a generous, even layer of grated Parmesan or flaky sea salt. Bake until the edges of the focaccia become golden brown and the mushrooms are very crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Squeeze the lemon over the surface of the focaccia. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Top with chives just before serving, if using.

HOW TO MAKE FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Whisk yeast with warm water in a mixing bowl; whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, semolina flour, and 2 teaspoons rosemary until thoroughly combined. Mix in 2 1/2 cups bread flour, using a wooden spoon, until dough is too stiff and sticky to mix.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, dusting with remaining 1/4 cup bread flour as needed, until dough is soft, smooth, and slightly elastic, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Drizzle dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil, spreading oil over the dough. Knead briefly, about 2 minutes, to incorporate olive oil. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon oil. Knead 2 or 3 more minutes to incorporate olive oil. Drizzle dough with 1 more tablespoon oil and knead in as before. If dough seems too sticky, knead in a little more flour. Knead until dough is soft, smooth, and elastic, 1 to 2 more minutes (7 to 8 minutes total kneading time).
• Drizzle 1 more tablespoon olive oil into a large bowl, place dough into bowl, and turn dough in bowl several times to coat with oil. Cover bowl with aluminum foil and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Coat a sheet pan lightly with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Turn dough into pan and press gently into a rough rectangular shape using your fingers, pressing out air bubbles. Cover sheet pan loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 15 to 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon more olive oil onto the dough, spread oil onto dough, and poke 3 or 4 oil-covered fingers deeply into the dough to make dimples all over the surface. Poke holes all the way down to the bottom of the pan. Fill in any spaces with holes until entire surface is covered with dimples. Let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Sprinkle 2 teaspoons minced rosemary over top of dough. Drizzle 1 more tablespoon olive oil onto the surface of the dough and brush on very lightly to avoid moving the rosemary. Sprinkle with sea salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until focaccia loaf is lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes. Brush 1 last tablespoon olive oil onto the loaf. Transfer to a rack and let cool before cutting.

POTATO FOCACCIA WITH OYSTER MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Make sponge. Combine yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to dissolve. Whisk in flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until bubbly and doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
• While starter is proofing, steam potatoes above 1 inch of boiling water until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Mash with a potato masher or put through a potato ricer or sieve. Set aside to cool.
• Make dough. Whisk together yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until creamy, a few minutes. Add to sponge in mixer bowl, along with the olive oil. Add mashed potatoes, flours (using smaller amount of unbleached flour) and salt and mix in with paddle attachment for 1 to 2 minutes, until ingredients are amalgamated. Change to dough hook and knead on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes, adding more white flour if dough seems impossibly sticky (it will be sticky no matter what). The dough should come together and slap against the sides of the bowl. It will be tacky.
• Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Shape the focaccia. Coat a 12-x 17-inch sheet pan (sides and bottom) with olive oil. Line with parchment and flip the parchment over so exposed side is oiled. Turn dough onto the baking sheet. Oil or moisten your hands, as dough is sticky, and press out dough until it just about covers the bottom of the pan. Cover with a towel and allow it to relax for 10 minutes, then continue to press it out until it reaches the edges of the pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour, or until dough is full of air bubbles.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees after 30 minutes of rising (30 minutes before you wish to bake), preferably with a baking stone in it. Place olive oil, sage and garlic in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the ingredients begin to sizzle in the oil. Allow to sizzle for 30 seconds, then remove from heat, swirl the oil in pan and transfer to a measuring cup or small bowl or ramekin. Allow to cool.
• Cut away the tough stems bottoms from the mushrooms and tear large mushrooms into smaller pieces. In a large bowl, toss with salt and pepper and the cooled olive oil mix. With lightly oiled fingertips or with your knuckles, dimple the dough, pressing down hard so you leave indentations. Arrange the mushrooms over the dough. Drizzle on any oil left in the bowl.
• Place pan in oven on baking stone. Spray oven with water 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking, and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until edges are crisp and the top is golden. If you wish, remove the focaccia from the pan and bake directly on the stone during the last 10 minutes. Remove from oven, remove from pan at once and cool on a rack. Arrange the whole sage leaves over the top. If you want a softer focaccia, cover with a towel when you remove it from the oven. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TOMATO AND MUSHROOM FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 8-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Drain if necessary.
• On ungreased cookie sheet, place bread. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheese on bread. Top with mushrooms and tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is hot. Sprinkle with basil.

MUSHROOM FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Lightly grease a baking sheet and place dough on it; with floured hands press out dough to 11x7-inch oval. Brush with 2 tsp, of the oil and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large skillet; sauté mushrooms and onion for 4 minutes or until moisture has evaporated; add oregano and garlic, cook for 1 minute more, then let cool slightly.
• With thumb or end of wooden spoon, make dimpled surface on focaccia; top with mushroom mixture, pressing lightly into dough. Top with olives, black pepper and parmesan cheese.
• Bake in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned and crisp. Let cool slightly on wire rack. Cut in wedges or slices to serve.
• TIP: To create a warm place for dough to rise, turn oven on to 200F for 1 minute, then turn off and place dough in warm oven.
• Kalamata or nicoise olives cured in oil or brine are more flavorful than canned.
• VARIATION: Crumble goat cheese on top of baked focaccia and return to warm oven just to melt. Pass oil flavored with herbs or spices to drizzle as desired.

HARVEST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir in the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil while the machine is on low speed, mixing until the flour is completely moistened. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Add the salt and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. (The dough will tighten up, then begin to relax. After 5 minutes, it will be very wet and stick to the bottom of the mixer but not the sides.)
• Rub 2 tablespoons olive oil around the bottom and sides of a large mixing bowl (large enough to hold at least double the volume of dough). Transfer the dough to the bowl with a scraper or spatula, flipping once to coat completely with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Pour the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into the bottom of an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Use your hands to evenly distribute the oil along the bottom and up the sides. Scrape the dough into the baking sheet, flattening it slightly with your hands. Flip the dough once and gently stretch it to fit into an even layer in the baking sheet. (The dough may not stretch to the edges at this point. If it starts to pull back, let rest 10 minutes and re-stretch, making sure to pull from the center as well as the edges to get an even thickness.) Use your fingertips to make dimples over the surface of the focaccia, pressing firmly but not so hard you make holes in the dough.
• For the brine and toppings: Dissolve the kosher salt in 1/3 cup warm water. Drizzle over the surface of the focaccia, letting it pool in the dimples.
• Starting in the upper right corner, gently press the largest mushroom pieces into the dough and continue down and to the left, working from the largest pieces to the smallest in a curling, tapering wave shape. Fill in the spaces between the mushrooms with the arugula, radicchio, carrot slices, fennel, fennel fronds and rosemary sprigs. Let stand in a warm place for 45 minutes so the dough can relax and rise again.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the focaccia all over with flaky sea salt and sprinkle the vegetables with a couple pinches of red pepper flakes if using. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the focaccia is deep golden brown on the top and bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Drizzle with the olive oil and let rest for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the focaccia to a wire rack to cool completely.

HARVEST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Put 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F), the yeast, 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 tablespoon each turbinado sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on medium speed until the yeast and sugar dissolve, then let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add both flours and mix on medium speed to make a smooth but sticky dough, about 4 minutes.
• Poke the butter pieces into the dough, spacing them evenly apart. (Do not mix.) Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Mix the dough with the dough hook on low speed just until there are streaks of butter throughout, about 1 minute. Put the grapes and raisins in a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely and microwave until juicy, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then strain through a sieve, discarding the liquid.
• Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Divide the dough in half and transfer one piece to the baking sheet, leaving the other in the bowl. Cover both pieces of dough loosely with parchment paper; set aside until plump and airy, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put a pizza stone or inverted rimmed baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Spread the dough on the baking sheet so it fills the pan, dimpling it with your fingertips. Scatter half of the grape-raisin mixture evenly on top. Put the remaining piece of dough on top and stretch and pat it to cover the bottom piece of dough. (Don't worry if the dough tears.) Scatter the walnuts and the remaining grape-raisin mixture on top; dimple the dough all over with your fingertips, poking the topping into the dough. Cover loosely with parchment and set aside until the dough rises above the sides of the baking sheet by about 1/2 inch, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the coriander, rosemary, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper; sprinkle over the dough. Place the baking sheet on the hot stone and bake 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and bake until the focaccia is golden and springs back when pressed, 20 to 30 more minutes. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; let cool in the pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly or let cool completely and freeze.

FOCACCIA TOPPED WITH TOMATO & MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• In an 8" skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
• Cook mushrooms in oil until tender.
• Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute or less.
• Crain if necessary.
• Place bread on cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle 3/4 cup of cheese on bread.
• Top with mushrooms, garlic, and tomatoes.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
• Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is hot.
• Sprinkle with basil.

NO-KNEAD BIG BUBBLE FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Stir yeast into bread flour in a bowl. Add salt, followed by 4 teaspoons oil, and water. Stir with a spoon until a wet, sticky dough forms.
• Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours.
• Uncover dough and transfer to an oiled work surface. Using oiled hands, press and push the dough into a rectangle, 16x12 inches in size. Fold dough into thirds horizontally; fold vertically into thirds. Transfer smooth side up into a generously oiled pan.
• Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rest until almost doubled in size, for 1 hour.
• Using oiled hands, fold once more into thirds horizontally, then into thirds vertically to develop gluten structure. Flip dough, smooth side up, on the pan; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour more.
• Unwrap and stretch and fold dough once more in each direction using oiled hands.
• Transfer, smooth side up, into a generously oiled metal baking pan. Lightly drizzle with additional olive oil and stretch to fit the pan. Cover and let rest for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)
• Unwrap and poke holes in the top of the dough using oiled fingers if desired for the traditional focaccia look. Scatter over rosemary and flaky sea salt.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Slice and serve.