Perilla Leaf Focaccia Recipes

GRANDMA PEGGY'S FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and mash into a creamy consistency; cover to keep warm.
• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Stir in the sugar and set aside until the mixture blooms with a slightly foamy top, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the bread flour, semolina flour, mashed potatoes, olive oil, 4 teaspoons of the salt and 3 cups warm water to the large bowl with the yeast and mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients come together into a soft, wet and uniform dough.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Knead on low speed, gradually increasing the speed to medium, until the dough is firm and has a smooth consistency, 8 to 9 minutes. Kneed in 1 to 2 additional tablespoons flour if the dough doesn't appear firm and smooth. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rise at room temperature in a dark area until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Evenly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and lightly stretch and press it towards the sides of the baking sheet until the dough is about 1/2 inch thick (it will not reach the sides). Let the dough sit for 10 minutes.
• Continue to stretch the dough to the sides of the baking sheet using your fingertips; this time it will reach the sides. Cover the dough again and let it rise for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
• Dimple the focaccia all over using your fingertips. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the dough and arrange the cherry tomatoes over the top cut-side down. Garnish with the oregano and remaining sea salt.
• Bake until the focaccia is golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow it to cool completely on the baking sheet.
• Enjoy immediately or wrap it tightly and store on the countertop for up to 3 days.

DELICIOUSLY EASY GARLIC HERB FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Place 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, bread flour, white sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and active dry yeast, respectively, in the pan of a bread machine. Select pizza cycle; press Start.
• Combine crushed garlic and 1/3 cup olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside to let it steep, about 30 minutes.
• Combine Parmesan cheese, parsley, onion powder, and herbes de Provence in another small bowl.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
• Deflate dough and turn out into the baking sheet. Stretch dough gently out to 1/2-inch thickness, using your fingers to make dimples that will hold the toppings.
• Pour garlic and oil mixture onto dough and spread it evenly over the dough and edges with your hands. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle dough with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer from the baking sheet to a rack. Let cool, 5 minutes. Cut into squares with a pizza cutter.

PEPPERONI FOCACCIA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Heat a 10-in. cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepperoni and onion; cook and stir until pepperoni is crisp and onion is tender, 6-8 minutes. Remove and keep warm. In a large bowl, beat egg, milk, yogurt and oil until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt; gradually beat into egg mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and pepperoni mixture (batter will be thick)., Transfer to same skillet; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in skillet on a wire rack. Serve warm. If desired, serve with marinara sauce and top with fresh basil leaves.

PERILLA LEAF FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Set it aside until the mixture starts to foam, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, garlic, ¼ cup of the olive oil, and the perilla ribbons.
• Slowly pour the yeast mixture into the flour. Using a wooden spoon (or chopsticks), stir the mixture together until a dough forms. Using your hands, knead the dough for about 5 minutes. You can do this in the bowl or you can remove the dough and knead it on a floured surface.
• Wash and rinse the bowl with warm water. Mist it with a little cooking spray and return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and set it aside somewhere warm until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and set it aside somewhere until it has doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Punch the dough down to release excess gas. Knead it for another minute or so. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to a medium pan (I use a cast-iron pan, but you can also use a 9-inch baking pan).
• Place the dough into the oiled pan and use the fingers of both hands to spread and press the dough so that it stretches to the edges of the pan. Flip the dough over and repeat, creating the trademark "dimpling" of focaccia. Cover the pan with a dry kitchen towel and let it sit for another 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F.
• When the dough is ready to bake, sprinkle generously with sea salt and top with a few whole perilla leaves. Bake until golden brown, about 22 minutes.

PEPPERED FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/2 cups of flour, the sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the yeast in large bowl. Heat water and 2 tablespoons of the oil until very warm (120°F to 130°F); stir into flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally, until batter is springy and pulls away from side of bowl. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Cover and let rise in warm pace about 1 hour or until double. (If using quick yeast, omit 1-hour rising; cover and let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.)
• Grease 2 cookie sheets. Stir down dough; divide in half. Place each half on cookie sheet; press into 12-inch circle. Brush each circle with about 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Top each with half of the bell peppers, cheese, basil, oregano, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 to 12 minutes.
• Heat oven to 425°F. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serve hot.

FOCACCIA BIANCA WITH HERB OIL

Steps:

• Five hours before baking the focaccia, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and oil the bottom and interior sides with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Begin panning and dimpling the White Master Dough, at 20-minute intervals, dipping your fingers in olive oil to keep them from sticking to the dough as you work. After three to four rounds of dimpling and resting, the dough will have relaxed enough to cover the whole pan. At this point, rub the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over the dough and cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap. Then allow 3 hours for the final rise.
• When the dough reaches the rim of the pan (or doubled in size), position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F (425 degrees F for convection). Carefully peel off the plastic wrap, drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons herbed olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 cups Parmesan or Romano cheese. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to melt the cheese. Transfer the focaccia to a cutting board and let rest 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 8 minutes. Then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake 9 to 12 minutes longer, or until the top and the undercrust are golden brown. If using cheese, remove the pan from the oven when the focaccia looks done and sprinkle it with the cheese. Return the pan to the oven for 2 minutes and then remove it.
• Transfer the baked focaccia to the stovetop or to a heatproof counter. Using an offset spatula or bench blade, carefully slide it around the edge, between the crust and the side of the pan, and then lift the focaccia out of the pan and slide it onto a cutting board. Drizzle any oil remaining in the baking pan over the focaccia. If the parchment paper or baking mat is still clinging to the focaccia, remove it. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into 3- or 4-inch squares and serve.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Add all of the water and mix on slow speed for 30 seconds or stir with a large spoon to form a coarse, shaggy dough. Add the 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, increase the speed to medium (or continue mixing with the spoon or with wet hands), and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a wet, coarse, sticky dough. It may seem too wet to form a cohesive dough at this stage. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate.
• Increase the mixer speed to medium-high (or continue mixing by hand) and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a smooth, sticky dough. It should be soft, supple and sticky to the touch, and offer a little resistance when pressed with a wet finger.
• Use 1 teaspoon of the extra oil to make a 15-inch-diameter oil slick on the work surface. Rub some oil on a plastic bowl scraper and on your hands and use the scraper to transfer the dough to the oil slick. Stretch and fold the dough. Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold (rub more oil on the work surface as needed), cover the dough, and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Then repeat the stretch and fold, cover with the bowl, and again let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Perform a fourth and final stretch and fold to make a smooth ball of dough. The dough will have firmed up after each stretch and fold and will now be soft, smooth, supple, and somewhat sticky but firm enough to hold together when lifted. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 to 72 hours.
• In a bowl, whisk together the oil, basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic and pepper flakes and paprika (if using), gradually adding the salt and whisking the oil to bring the salt to the surface before tasting. Store in the refrigerator in a container with a lid, where it will keep for at least 6 months. Makes 1 cup.