Genoa Focaccia

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kadesma

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This is our favorite focaccia recipe..In fact I'm making one now to freeze for Sunday. Thought I'd share it with you.
Sponge:
2-1/2 tea. active dry yeast
2/3-c. warm water 105 to 115f
1-c. unbleached a/p flour
To make sponge: Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl, wisk it in, and let sit til creamy about 10 min. Stir in the flour and beat til smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise til puffy and bubbling about 30 min.
Dough:
1/2-c. room temp water
1/3-c. dry white wine
1/3-c. evoo, I add an extra 2 tab. here
your sponge
2-1/2-c. plus 1-2 tab. unbleached a/p flour, plus 1-2 tab. as needed.
2-teas. sea salt
To make Dough:
Add water, wine, and olive oil to the sponge. If making by hand beat in 1 c. flour and the salt, then beat in the rest of the flour til you have a dough that is very soft and very sticky. Knead on lightly floured board using a dough scraper and 1-2 additional tab. of flour for 6-8 min. the dough will remain soft but not wet, just slightly sticky.
First rise:
Place dough in lightly oiled container, I use a large tupperware with lid, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise till puffy and double. 45 to 60 min.
Shaping and second rise:

The dough will be soft, have some air bubbles and should stretch easily, If i find it wants to fight me when stretching, I let it rest, the try again. Press into a 10-1/2x14-1/2 inch pan that you've oiled well, in fact I put enough that you can see it roll if you tilt the pan. You can dimple it now and lightly brush the top with oil and then cover with plastic wrap that you've pamed, place the pam side down on the focaccia and let rise about 45 min.
Baking:
preheat oven to 425, I have a hearth kit that really give me a beautiful brown crust..But before that I used a stone under the baking pan...and sprayed water into the oven 3 times in 10 min. Just before baking, really dimple the dough, brush with more evoo and sprinkle with salt. Place your pan directly on the stone and reduce the oven temp to 400
Bake for 225-30 min or til golden brownImediately remove from pan and cool on a rack. While cooling re-brush with evoo and sprinkle with salt a second time. I know most recipes don't call for this much brushing with evoo, but, I've added that as that is what a little Italian bakery does with theres. I also use a stone pan instead of metal and it turns out a wonderful crust. my pan is a little large as we don't cut our focaccia open like a sammie, we cut into squares and put the salami and cheese on top..open faced..
Well better go see if mine has risen to the max:LOL:
kadesma
 
Last edited:
PA Baker said:
I've copied and pasted! I have a lot of focaccia recipes but none that call for wine. I'll have to try this soon!
Morning Pa:)
I grew up eating fugazza ( as pronounced by the local Italians):) Adding the wine was a new thing, we found we enjoy it so much. I make this for every holiday or birthday, we just cou'dn't NOT have some to top with salami or mortadella, copa,and cheese I hope you enjoy it as much as we do:)
kadesma
 
nytxn said:
That stuff sounds great.
Thank you:)
Give it a try sometime it's fantastic with Ialian meats and cheese. My dad use to even put his avocado dip on it:LOL:
kadesma
 
kadesma said:
we just cou'dn't NOT have some to top with salami or mortadella, copa,and cheese I hope you enjoy it as much as we do:)
kadesma

Aww man!!! Now you're making me hungry.

It's so hard to find a good Italian deli down here in the Austin area.
 
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