Zesty Potato Topping For Focaccia Recipes

POTATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest in a warm place for 25 minutes.
• Mix in the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour, until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough adheres to the hook. It should remain soft and slightly sticky. Continue mixing for about 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Remove from the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and put into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour, to let the dough rise until doubled.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook slowly until very crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve the pancetta and fat separately.
• Put the potatoes in cold salted water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook about 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and place in a bowl.
• Pour the pancetta fat over the warm potatoes, add the crisped pancetta, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon zest. Toss well and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a baking sheet.
• Lightly flour the dough and punch it down. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 10 inches. Brush off any excess flour and transfer to the oiled baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the potato mixture onto the dough and press it in with the flat of your hand. Press your fingers into the dough to make evenly spaced indentations all over the surface, being careful not to puncture or tear the dough. Scatter the remaining rosemary over the dough.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and the bread is crisp on the bottom. Let cool in the pan to room temperature. Cut into squares, "fingers," or triangles to serve.

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.

POTATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 12-by-18-inch rimmed baking pan, and spread all over using fingertips; set aside. Place half the potatoes in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water; place over high heat. Add 3 teaspoons salt when water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain in a colander, reserving liquid. Pass through a potato ricer or a food mill and into a bowl; set aside.
• Place 1/4 cup reserved warm liquid into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle in yeast, and stir well; let stand until creamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups more reserved liquid, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the reserved mashed potatoes; beat until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; add to potato mixture. Mix on low speed until flour is incorporated, about 3 minutes. Change to the dough hook, and knead on medium-high until dough is smooth and elastic and is slightly tacky when squeezed but does not stick to fingers, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a clean surface, and knead into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread dough evenly in the prepared baking pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until dough has filled the entire pan and has increased in size by about one-third, about 30 minutes.
• Using a mandoline or a knife, slice remaining potatoes into very thin rounds. Transfer to a bowl. Add half the rosemary and 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat potatoes well.
• Remove plastic wrap; dimple dough with fingertips, leaving deep indentations. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Gently press reserved sliced potatoes into dough. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm.

POTATO AND LEEK FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine the water, yeast and sugar together in a large bowl. Let sit until the yeast is activated and foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and salt to make a shaggy, sticky dough. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough and turn to coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• When you are ready to bake, coat a metal 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter and pour 2 tablespoons oil into the pan. Gently fold the dough over itself a few times in the bowl, then transfer it to the prepared pan and turn it over to coat with oil. Arrange the dough seam-side down and let it rise, uncovered, until it almost covers the bottom of the pan, about 2 hours.
• Just before the dough has finished rising, heat your oven to 425 degrees and set a rack in the center.
• When you are ready to bake, combine the sliced leeks and potatoes in a large bowl. Strip the leaves from the thyme and add them to the bowl along with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper; toss to combine evenly.
• Use your fingertips to dimple the dough and gently push it to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Arrange the leeks and potatoes in an even layer over the dough. Bake until the focaccia is golden on the edges and the leeks begin to brown, about 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.

POTATO & TURMERIC FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 350ml cold water and add the oil. Add the flour and 1 tsp salt and mix thoroughly with your hands to make a dough. Cover and leave in the fridge or a cool place overnight.
• The next day, turn your dough out onto an oiled tray approx 30cm x 20cm. Using your fingertips, gently stretch the dough into a rectangle, then fold it in half. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat the process. Leave to rest for 30 mins. Repeat this stretching, folding and resting process twice more.
• Heat oven to 24OC/220C fan/gas 9. Gently stretch the dough to fill your tray. If it shrinks back, don't force it - rest for 10 more mins, then try again.
• Spread the potato slices over the dough, overlapping. Mix the olive oil with the turmeric and brush over, then sprinkle with sea salt and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 25-30 mins. When cooked, drizzle with a little more olive oil and scatter over the rosemary.

ZESTY POTATO TOPPING FOR FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Once focaccia has been prepared and placed in tin, place mixture on the top.
• Allow to rise again for approximately 20 - 30 minutes.
• Bake.