Recipe: Sage and Onion Focaccia (Guest Post from Fearless Grill)

Recipe Source: Shapter, Jennie. Bread Machine – how to prepare and bake the perfect loaf. Hermes House, New York, 2002 p. 107

 

We recently had a party, and I wanted to make a loaf of bread that would make a good appetizer on its own, and would be able to easily be shared by a group of people. I had made this recipe several times in the past, always with great results, so I decided to go with it.

I didn’t make any major modifications to the ingredients in the recipe, except for substituting turbinado sugar for the granulated sugar called for in the original. I did make several changes to the technique. As you can tell from the catchy title, this book is written for bread machine owners, and all the techniques for cooking use the bread machine to knead the dough. I really like this book, and have enjoyed many of the recipes in it. However we recently purchased a Cuisinart stand mixer, and I find that I prefer the texture of bread made using the mixer better than that made using the bread machine. The mixer also takes substantially less time to get the dough ready. The recipes in this book are easily modified to use with the stand mixer, as outlined below. In addition, I decided to cook the bread in my Big Green Egg, rather than in the oven. Jess was using the oven to prepare other dishes, and I like the slightly smoky brick oven flavor provided by the Egg.

I was really happy with the way this focaccia turned out. It rose a bit more than I was expecting, but the flavor and texture of the bread were great, and it was happily consumed by our guests. I will certainly be making this one again.

 

Sage and Onion Focaccia (makes 1 loaf. Approx. Cost Per Serving Not Available)

For the dough

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups white bread flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar (I used turbinado – the original called for granulated)

1 teaspoon rapid rise dry yeast

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

 

For the topping

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ red onion, thinly sliced

5-6 fresh sage leaves, sliced lengthwise into strips

2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)

Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. 1) Mix the water, olive oil, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Allow to sit until yeast proofs (yeast activity forms a quantity of bubbles on the surface of the liquid), about 5-10 minutes
2. 2) Add two cups of flour and the salt to the bowl. Mix at a low speed using your dough hook – I used speed 2 on my Cuisinart stand mixer – until the ingredients are mixed. Continue to add the remaining flour, a little at a time, until the dough has reached the right consistency, at which point it will form a ball on the dough hook.
3. 3) Increase the speed to the next setting and let the dough knead for 6 minutes.
4. 4) Lower the speed and add the chopped onion and sage, until thoroughly and evenly mixed into the dough. This should take about 2 minutes. Don’t forget to turn down the speed, or these will get shredded.
5. 5) Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until approximately doubled in size.
6. 6) ‘Punch down’ the dough to remove any large air pockets that may have built up.
7. 7) Transfer the dough to an appropriate pan – I used a 12” round ceramic bread pan. You could also use a pizza pan or a shallow cake pan. Shape the dough to fit in the pan.
8. 8) Cover, and let rise in a warm place for another 20 minutes.
9. 9) Preheat your cooking appliance of choice to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I used my Big Green Egg this time, set up for indirect cooking. I’ve made this same recipe several times in my oven with excellent results as well.
10. 10) Using your fingertips, poke the dough to make deep dimples in the surface, spaced about 1 inch or so apart. Recover, and let rise another 10 – 15 minutes.
11. 11) Drizzle the dough with the olive oil, and add the remaining ingredients.
12. 12) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
13. 13) This can be served warm or cold. I sliced it up into small squares using a pizza cutter to make it easier for our guests to eat.

Technorati Tags: Recipe,bread,big Green Egg,focaccia

Comments

[puma shoes]

I want to thank for that information which is provided here. I also thank the people who contribute their comments on this blog.

[Keira]

Well, I have one question in making this bread. About point number 8, you say "Cover, and let rise in a warm place for another 20 minutes" how many degrees the room temperature required?

[Fearless Kitchen]

Keira - you know, I don't have a thermostat in my kitchen itself. I usually get my best results when I pre-heat the oven and leave the dough someplace near the stove. My kitchen is very well-insulated so once it heats up it stays warm!