Spring's favorite bread.
Light and fluffy, slightly chewy in the center with crispy golden-brown edges, and delicately topped with olive oil and herbs—maybe some garlic, a few vegetables or a touch of cheese, but nothing too heavy. It’s light enough for a snack or a small lunch, yet sturdy and portable enough to take on a socially-distanced spring picnic, and it is the perfect thing to be baking these days, as the cold starts to give way to moist, warm winds that call us out of hibernation.
When I made my first focaccia nearly five years ago, I topped it simply with extra virgin olive oil and thyme. It was delicious—herby olive oil on fresh-baked bread, what’s not to love?—but this time, I wanted to be more adventurous. So I chose to top this focaccia with artichokes swimming in in olive oil, garlic, and a touch of chili, as well as thinly sliced red onion and goat cheese. The savory meatiness of the artichoke compliments the soft textured bread without overwhelming it, while the red onion adds both bite and crunch and the goat cheese brings that creamy tang. A shower of peppery arugula post-baking provides the perfect finish.
At this point in the pandemic, many of us have hopped on and off the bread train a few times already. Whether you’re currently elbow-deep in sourdough or haven’t seen a packet of yeast in months, this Springtime Focaccia is a perfect reason to turn your oven back on. And when you take your first bite of the soft, pillowy bread accented by the rich olive oil and garlicky artichokes, you’ll be glad you did!
Enjoy!
Focaccia with Garlicky Artichokes and Goat Cheese
Makes 2 focaccia
For the marinated artichokes:
14 oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and sliced (about 3 cups)
½ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about ½ a lemon’s worth)
For the focaccia:
500 grams bread flour (~4 cups)
1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 ½ tsp instant yeast
360 mL warm water (105- 115 degrees F)
60 mL extra-virgin olive oil (~1/4 cup), plus extra
Marinated artichokes
½ red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Arugula
Special equipment: 2 10” x 15” baking sheets, parchment paper
Method
For the marinated artichokes:
Heat artichoke hearts, olive oil, minced garlic, kosher salt, and chili flakes in a saute pan over medium heat. When oil starts to sizzle, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in the pan, then stir in lemon juice. Store covered in the refrigerator.
For the focaccia:
Pour bread flour into a large mixing bowl; add salt to one side and yeast to the other. Add water and stir until a sticky dough has formed. Drizzle in 60 mL olive oil and continue to stir until incorporated. Dough will be loose and sticky.
Grease a counter top with more olive oil and turn out dough. Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. This will take a while and the dough will be very sticky—don’t add more flour. Add a bit more olive oil if needed and keep kneading. Alternatively, you can do this in the stand mixer with a dough hook.
Place kneaded dough in an oiled container, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm room until roughly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil.
Turn out risen dough from the container and divide in two pieces; be as gentle as possible to not squash the air pockets. Place each piece of dough on a baking sheet and carefully stretch the dough out to fill the baking sheet; using your fingers, gently prod the dough to form dimples.
Cover baking sheets and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size. The dough should not spring back when you prod it.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Uncover the baking sheets and lightly dimple the focaccia again. Don’t be too aggressive—you don’t want to push out the air. Brush with some of the marinated artichoke oil and sprinkle with artichokes, red onion, and half the goat cheese.* Let rest 20 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top and crispy on the bottom, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then top with the rest of the goat cheese and arugula and serve.
*You can choose to add the goat cheese after baking if you don’t like baked goat cheese.
Originally posted March 4, 2021.
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