Focaccia

The focaccia is a traditional Italian dish pizza closely related. It is a kind of flatbread topped with herbs and other toppings. Generally, it is seasoned with olive oil and salt, and may contain some more ingredients such as onion and black olives. Outside of Italy it is normally consumed as sandwich bread, although in the country of origin it is consumed as a side bread. Here we teach you how to make 3 types of focaccia.

Focaccia with black pepper, oregano and fennel

Ingredients

• 320g sourdough or poolish
• 225 g of strength flour
• 10 g fresh yeast
• 7 g of salt
• 40-60 g olive oil
• 90 g of water
• Neguilla
• Oregano and fennel seasoning

Process

• First, put the flour in a large bowl giving it the shape of a volcano, together with the salt, olive oil, sourdough and yeast, previously dissolved in the water.

• Knead for about 6 minutes until obtaining a soft, elastic and slightly sticky dough, which must be handled with hands greased in oil.
• Lightly flour the work surface and pour the dough onto it. Sprinkle flour on the rolling pin to stretch the dough into a rectangular shape. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Work the dough by stretching it and folding it on itself a couple of times. Finish by forming a rectangle and place it on a baking tray previously covered with baking paper. Next, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature for 40-60 minutes.
• After this time, spread the surface of the dough with olive oil, sprinkle the spices and gently sink the knuckles at different points of the dough, leaving a thickness of at least 2 cm.
• Let stand another half hour.
• Finally, preheat the oven to 250ºC above and below. When hot, add the focaccia and bake at 220ºC for 10-15 minutes, until the focaccia is lightly golden brown and crisp.

Focaccia with ham and cheese

Ingredients

• 100 g emmental cheese in pieces
• 200 g of water
• 75 g olive oil
• 25 g fresh pressed yeast
• 400 g of bread flour
• A teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 100 g of serrano ham cubes
• ½ onion thinly sliced
• 1 pinch of coarse salt

Process

• First, preheat the oven to 220ºC.
• Grate the cheese in a bowl and reserve.
• Mix 25 g of oil with the yeast and water, stirring well.
• Next, add the salt, flour, thyme, oregano, ham and reserved cheese and mix until a homogeneous dough forms.
• Make a ball with the dough and spread it on a baking tray previously greased with oil or covered with baking paper.

• Put the onion well distributed on top and sprinkle with the salt and thyme. Water with the remaining oil.
• Crush the dough with your fingers so that the ingredients are well integrated and so that the surface is uneven.
• Lastly, bake for about 20 minutes or  until the focaccia is golden brown.

Orange focaccia

Ingredients

• 300 g of warm water
• 5 g fresh yeast
• A teaspoon of salt
• 500 g flour
• 2 oranges sliced ​​as thinly as possible
• Olive oil
• Oregano
• Coarse salt

Process

• First, mix the yeast and salt in the water until they dissolve.
• Next, pour the flour into a large bowl and add the water. Mix until a homogeneous mixture is formed.

• Pass the dough to a smooth surface and work it with your hands until it is a smooth and elastic dough. No more flour should be added because it will change the texture of the focaccia. You have to work the dough thoroughly so that it stops sticking.
• Form a ball and place it in a bowl previously dusted with flour. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave the dough to rest in the fridge overnight.
• The next day, take the dough out of the fridge in advance to bring it back to room temperature. Spread it out until it reaches the edges of a previously greased baking tray or covered with greaseproof paper.
• Spread the orange slices over the dough, pressing the slices with your fingers so that they are slightly inserted into it. Sprinkle generously with oil and let it rest for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 250ºC.
• Press the orange slices again and bake for 15-20 minutes until the surface is golden and crisp.

• Finally, remove from the oven, season with coarse salt and oregano and serve immediately.