Recipe: Ristorante Ecco's Basic Focaccia Dough and Focaccette with Fruit and Nuts

RISTORANTE ECCO'S BASIC FOCACCIA DOUGH

FOR THE FOCACCIA SPONGE:
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
FOR THE DOUGH:
Sponge (above)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus more for kneading)

MAKE THE SPONGE:
Mix the water, yeast and flour until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Make the sponge at least 30 minutes ahead. For better flavor, make it a day ahead.

MAKE THE DOUGH:
Put the sponge in a large bowl or a heavy-duty mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the water, wine, olive oil, salt and cornmeal. Add the 2 3/4 cups flour gradually to make a soft dough. The dough will hold together but will be moist and sticky.

Knead in a mixer for 5 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes, adding as little flour as possible.

Transfer dough to a bowl; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

RISTORANTE ECCO'S FOCACCETTE WITH FRUIT AND NUTS

Focaccette are small round focacce, intended for sandwiches or single servings.

1 recipe Ristorante Ecco's Basic Focaccia Dough
FOR THE TOPPING:
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup sun- dried cranberries
1/4 cup sun- dried cherries
1/2 cup Marsala
Powdered sugar

Combine raisins, pine nuts, cranberries, cherries and Marsala. Let stand 1 hour to soften the fruit. Drain well. Stir the fruit-nut mixture into the Basic Focaccia Dough after the first rise.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface; the dough will be sticky. Divide it into 10 equal pieces, sprinkling lightly with flour to keep them from sticking to the board or your hands. Gently shape the pieces into flattened rounds.

Place the rounds on two lightly oiled baking sheets, cover with a towel and let rise 1 1/2 hours. Dimple the dough with lightly floured fingertips, cover again and let rise 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Just before baking, dimple the dough again with your fingertips. Sieve powdered sugar generously over each round.

Bake until golden-brown, about 25 minutes. If desired, sieve more powered sugar over the focaccette after baking.

Makes 10 focaccette
Source: Focaccia: Simple Breads from the Italian Oven by Carol Field