by Feli Chic'Cuisine
This Italian bread - Focaccia - Fügassa - alla genovese - is prepared similarly to bread dough or pizza dough, but with an abundance of olive oil and brine as the star ingredient. No-knead focaccia is a wonderful variation on the classic Italian bread that requires minimal effort and yields delicious results. Unlike traditional focaccia recipes, this no-knead version eliminates the need for prolonged kneading, making it a quick and easy recipe to whip up.
Olive oil and brine are two key ingredients that can help to elevate the texture and flavor of this focaccia bread. When used together in a recipe, they can create a crust that is crisp and flavorful, while also making the crumb soft and tender.
To make brine Focaccia
To make focaccia with olive oil and brine, you would typically begin by mixing together flour, water, yeast, and salt until just combined. Then, you would add in a generous amount of olive oil and brine, which is simply a solution of salt and water.
The crux of this recipe is a highly hydrated, no-knead, no-stretch dough. Despite the lack of kneading, this recipe produces a soft, sticky dough that requires only a few steps to rise. Mix together your dough ingredients in a bowl just until they're combined, cover it, and let time take care of the rest.
After the dough has risen, it's time to shape it into a flat, rectangular or ronde shape. Using your fingers, create small dimples all over the surface of the dough. Then, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the top, and brine, which is simply a solution of salt and water. Making sure to coat the entire surface. Sprinkle with aromatic herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, and a little bit of coarse sea salt.
Bake the focaccia in a preheated oven until it is golden brown and crispy on the outside, but still soft and tender on the inside. Serve the focaccia warm, with a little extra olive oil for dipping, if desired.
Making focaccia is a simple process that yields delicious results. With the right ingredients and a little bit of patience, anyone can create a homemade bread that will impress their friends and family.
The addition of brine to the dough helps to create a crispy crust by drawing moisture out of the surface of the dough during baking. The result is a crust that is beautifully golden and crunchy, with a satisfying texture that pairs perfectly with the soft, fluffy crumb.
The olive oil also plays a crucial role in creating a deliciously tender and flavorful crumb. It adds moisture and richness to the dough, which helps to create a bread that is full of flavor and aroma.
Overall, using a combination of olive oil and brine is a great way to take your focaccia bread to the next level. By using these ingredients, you can create a bread that is crispy, tender, and full of flavor, making it a perfect addition to any meal or occasion.
The Video Recipe
Toppings for Focaccia
In general, aromatic herbs are preferred for this type of Italian bread: rosemary, oregano, basil or thyme. Additionally, they can be decorated with sun-dried tomatoes marinated in olive oil, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers of different colors, onions, and other vegetables. By using all these vegetables, you can create a mini-garden on the prepared Focaccia.
Last but not least, if you want to add more consistency and flavor, you can add cheese such as mozzarella, stracchino, goat cheese, etc.
How to serve Focaccia
Focaccia is an incredibly versatile bread that can be enjoyed in many different ways. Here are some ideas for serving and enjoying your freshly baked focaccia:
1. As an appetizer: Serve sliced focaccia on a platter with a variety of dips, such as hummus or tzatziki.
2. As a sandwich: Use focaccia as the bread for your favorite sandwich fillings, such as mozzarella and tomato, roasted vegetables or with sliced turkey meat.
3. Alongside soup: Serve warm slices of focaccia alongside a bowl of soup, such as a delicious mushrooms soup, a minestrone, tomato, or lentil soup.
4. As a side dish: Focaccia is a great accompaniment to many different types of meals, such as roasted chicken, grilled fish, or pasta dishes.
No matter how you choose to enjoy your focaccia, it is sure to be a hit. Its crispy exterior and soft, flavorful interior make it the perfect bread to serve alongside a variety of meals. My favorite way to enjoy Focaccia is as it is, dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar for an Italian night.....
To prepare Focaccia
To decorate and bake Focaccia
Prep. Time: 1 h 5 min
Bake Time: 25 min
Total Time: 1 h 30 min
Serving: 2 Focaccia; 24 serves
Ingredients
For the Dough:
1 kg plain white Flour (bread Flour)
14 g active dry yeast (or 30 g fresh yeast)
750 ml lukewarm water
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
20 g sea salt
For the Brine:
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lukewarm water
5 g sea salt
To decorate first Focaccia:
flaky sea salt
fresh rosemary
To decorate the second Focaccia:
fresh sprigs rosemary
un-dried tomatoes in olive oil
cherry tomatoes
red onion
bell peppers
leek stalks
flaky sea salt
Method
Prepare the Dough
1. In a small bowl, whisk the active dry yeast with ½ cup lukewarm water (take from the water already weighed) and let sit 5 minutes, until bubbles or foam appear.
2. In a large bowl, add flour, salt and mix together. Make a well in the middle and add the olive oil, the bubbly yeast into the rest of lukewarm water. Using a fork or a spatula mix together. When the dough is almost smooth - the dough is wet and sticky. - drizzle the top lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to stand for 10 minutes, at room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, generously drizzle two (38 x 26 cm) non stick baking pans with olive oil, making sure the sides have also been coated in oil. Divide the dough into the two pans. Don't stretch the dough! Leave to stand for another 10 minutes.
4. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle (round) shape by pressing it down with your oiled fingers and tucking edges and corners in if needed. Leave to stand for 20 minutes to relax.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F), conventional, not fan, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
6. Make the brine: in a medium bowl, mix the olive oil, water and salt, until smooth.
Make the first Focaccia - Nature Focaccia
7. Pour 3/4 of the brine over the first focaccia, to cover the entire surface. Gently, using your fingerprints, dimple the dough all over, pressing your fingers almost to the bottom of the pan - to help the brine penetrate the dough. Let the Focaccia rest for another 20 minutes. Then sprinkle the focaccia with flaky sea salt and chopped fresh rosemary.
Make the second Focaccia - Flowered Focaccia
8. Cut the vegetables to decorate the flowered focaccia. Drizzle olive oil and the rest of brine over the top of the dough. Gently, using your fingers, dimple the dough all over, pressing your fingers almost to the bottom of the pan. Decorate with rosemary sprigs, red onion rings cut lengthwise, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil and/or bell peppers to create a pretty garden.
To Bake
9. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to prevent the bottom from getting soggy.
Enjoy!
If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him… The people who give you their food give you their heart. - Cesar Chavez
