Recipe: Olive and Tomato Flatbread - Focaccia Pugliese

OLIVE AND TOMATO FLATBREAD
FOCACCIA PUGLIESE

"Just as Naples is the capital of Italy's thick-rimmed wood-fired pizza pies, Bari and its surrounding towns are home to a beloved regional flatbread, Focaccia Pugliese.

This rich, high-hydration dough is baked in seasoned sheet pans at places like Panificio Fiore on Strada Palazzo di Citta in Bari Vecchia. The pan is drenched in oil before the dough is stretched into place, so when it all goes into the oven, the dough practically fries as it bakes, rendering the bottom crispy and pleasantly charred."

"This recipe features cherry tomatoes and olives, but you can use onions or even blind-bake the dough, omitting the toppings and just seasoning with salt and herbs."

Makes three 10-to 12-inch focaccia

350 grams (1 1/2 cups) filtered water
200 grams (1 2/3 cups) bread flour , plus more for dusting
300 grams (1 3/4 cups) farina di semola rimacinata (fancy durum flour)
100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) riced boiled potato, cooled
2 grams (1/2 rounded teaspoon plus a pinch) active dry yeast
12 grams (2 teaspoons) sea salt, plus more as needed
5 grams (1 rounded teaspoon) sugar
155 grams (3/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
500 grams (1 pound) mature cherry tomatoes
About 30 black olives
3 grams (1 tablespoon) dried oregano

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, bread flour, farina di semola rimacinata, riced potato, yeast, salt, sugar, and 50 grams (1/4 cup) of the olive oil. Mix on low for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 18 minutes more. The dough will come together and become smooth and slightly sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, allowing it to gently release from the bowl, and cut it into 3 equal pieces, weighing about 330 grams (11 ounces) each, with a dough scraper or knife shape each piece into a ball and place each separately on a deep plate generously greased with olive oil.

Brush lightly with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap . Set aside to rise at room temperature for 2 hours, until almost tripled in size.

Pour 25 grams (2 tablespoons) of the olive oil into a 10-to 12-inch pan (see Note), tilting the pan to coat the entire bottom and 1-inch up on the sides. Turn one of the dough balls out into the pan. Using greased fingertips, carefully push and stretch the dough into the shape of the pan, taking care not to tear it.

Gently press a third of the halved cherry tomatoes, cut-side down, and about 10 olives into the dough, distributing them evenly. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to rise at room temperature for 20 minutes.



Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with the rack in the center position.

Remove the towel and sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the oregano over the dough. Season with salt. Drizzle 10 grams olive oil over the dough, distributing it evenly Using greased fingertips, press into the dough around the tomatoes and olives to form dimples.

Place the pan over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to bubble and crackle, cook for 3 minutes more. Check the underside of the dough by gently lifting it with a heatproof spatula. It should be a very dark golden color. If it has not browned , cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the focaccia has a dark golden crispy crust, about 17 minutes; focaccia brown irregularly, so having darker spots mixed with lighter parts is normal. Transfer the focaccia to a wire rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the pan and allowing the oven to return to the desired temperature before baking the next focaccia.

NOTE:
To get the unique texture of Focaccia Pugliese, you need to bake with intense heat from underneath. Since these conditions are difficult to replicate in a home oven, you will get the best results by using a frying pan or skillet with only metal and no plastic or wood parts for baking the focaccie If you have enough all-metal 10-to 12-inch-diameter pans for all three focaccie, you can prepare them simultaneously. Otherwise, bake one and store the others in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them to prevent them from overfermenting at room temperature.

Makes 3 (10-to 12-inch) focaccia
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Random House
Source: Food of the Italian South: Recipes for Classic, Disappearing, and Lost Dishes: A Cookbook by Katie Parla