Party Focaccia
This has recently become my favorite focaccia recipe that I find myself making at least once a week to share with our farmhouse guests. The focaccia itself has a soft interior and crisp exterior, just how I like my focaccia, and the combination of toppings is really delicious. This focaccia cut into fingers would turn it into a great option for party finger food which is why I have named it party focaccia, but we like to snack on it throughout the day as well.
I prepare the topping right after I set the dough aside to rise to allow the flavors of the topping to meld, and to break down the tomatoes just a bit. Just as any Italian recipe, the quality of your ingredients will directly be reflected in the flavor of your finished product so do choose ripe, flavorful tomatoes and good quality black olives.
Do not use those flavorless canned black olives! I like to use kalamata olives or oil cured olives. Three cloves of garlic may seem like a lot, so feel free to reduce that if you prefer but we like garlic and it really isn’t too much once it is baked.
Cut Into Fingers It Makes A Great Finger Food For Entertaining
The Focaccia Hot Out Of The Oven
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Party Focaccia
This has recently become my favorite focaccia recipe that I find myself making at least once a week to share with our farmhouse guests.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Instant Rise Yeast
- 1 1/2 Cups Warm Water (Approximate)
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Topping Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Ripe Tomatoes
- 1/2 Cup Pitted And Chopped Black Olives
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled And Thinly Sliced
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 4 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
- 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Place the flour in a bowl with the salt, yeast and olive oil and stir.
- Slowly add enough water to create a dough that sticks together and isn't too wet.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and begin to knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth, soft, but no longer sticky.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot in your kitchen until it has doubled in size, about an hour and a half.
- While the dough is rising, mix together your topping ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a 13 X 9 inch baking sheet and dump the dough into the prepared pan. Use your fingers to press the dough evenly into the pan, and create dimples all across the top with your fingers.
- Spoon the topping mix evenly across the top of the focaccia and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Bake the focaccia for about 25 minutes, or until it is crisp and lightly golden brown on top.
- Let cool for 10 minutes and then cut into fingers using a serrated bread knife.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.