Whole Wheat Focaccia

As I am shortly headed to my mountain top retreat, and to visit the She Wolf, and thence to provide some culinary creations for her pleasure, I will need to review / develop said recipes.

One favorite is Focaccia, but not the pallid, anemic, weak disaster white bread focaccia is, a hearty and robust whole wheat Focaccia…

Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, similar to a pizza but not exactly the same, and is usually topped with herbs or other ingredients. It is quite popular in Italy and is usually seasoned with olive oil and sometimes herbs, and may be topped with onion, cheese and meat, or flavored with a number of vegetables.

The most typical focaccia is simply baked dough topped with olive oil and a simple herb like rosemary or sage, and salted with coarse salt.

Focaccia doughs are similar in style and texture to pizza doughs, consisting of high-gluten flour, oil, water, salt and yeast. It is typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in a stone-bottom or hearth oven.

The practice of dotting the bread creates multiple wells in the bread by using a finger or the handle of a utensil to poke the unbaked dough. As a way to preserve moisture in the bread, olive oil is then spread over the dough, by hand or with a pastry brush prior to rising and baking.

I’ll start by preheating the oven to it’s max, and let it sit there warming the stones, while I make the focaccia dough.

Preparation Dough:

1. Sift Flours and 2 tsp salt together into stand mixer
2. Add Honey to water
3. Microwave water and cool to 110F
4. Add yeast and mix thoroughly
5. Rest / Proof 15-20 minutes
6. Add yeast / water and olive oil to dough
7. Mix with dough hook to combine
8. Kneed until smooth / loose from sides and bottom

(This will be a wet dough, much wetter than pizza)

9. Move to a large warm bowl misted with olive oil
10. Cover with a dish towel
11. Combine 1/4 oil with garlic and herbs
12. Proof / rise for 30 minutes
13. Stretch and fold and proof / rise for another 30 minutes
14. Repeat twice more
15. Work the dough into a large (warm) cast iron skillet
16. Dimple the dough surface with your finger tips
17. Over the dimples (Lightly) with oil, garlic mixture
18. Cover with towel and rest 30 minutes
19. Dust crust with salt

Baking

1. Bake ~10-15 minutes
2. Turn 180 degrees
3. Bake until crust is golden brown on bottom (~10-15 minutes)
4. Remove from oven
5. Rest 5 minutes
6. Serve

Optional Toppings:
2 tsp fresh rosemary needles
2 tsp fresh basil
2 tsp fresh sage
2 tsp jalapeño (seeded / chopped)
2 tsp fresh oregano

Very Optional :

Pancetta, or large pepperoni, prosciutto (all VERY THIN SLICED, as in see through thin) Thin slices of Onion, Tomato, green pepper