Foccacia Thick Crust Pizza

If you like a Sicilian-style pizza then this crust with an airy, chewy crumb is the one for you!

4 cups flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp instant yeast

2 cups lukewarm water (1/2 cup boiling/ 1 1/2 cups cold)

4-6 tbsps olive oil (divided)

1/3 - 1/2 cup pizza sauce 

2 cups shredded mozzarella

Toppings: pepperoni, chopped onion, sliced red pepper, black olives, diced roasted red pepper, fresh greens like spinach or arugula

To start the dough whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the water and mix until it forms a nice, sticky ball. Roll the ball in olive oil and place in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp dishtowel and place the bowl in a big plastic bag and seal. Refrigerate for 12 hours or up to 3 days. 

When ready take the ball of dough and fold it over itself 2 times, then stretch it out to form a rectangle in a parchment lined 12 X 9" baking pan that has been brushed with olive oil. Make sure there is a good overhang of parchment. Brush the entire thing with olive oil and place the pan in that plastic bag you already had in the fridge.

Bring the extra sides of the parchment up so the bag does not touch the dough. Leave this out at room temperature for 3-4 hours.

Once the dough has become pillowy soft, poke your fingertips into it all over like a regular foccacia. Spoon or brush the sauce over top. I like it light on the sauce so only used 1/3 cup but use what you like. Top with most, but not all, of the cheese and add your favourite toppings. Then finish with the remaining cheese and maybe a drizzle of olive oil.

Into a 450°F oven for 50-60 minutes or until golden and delicious! Sprinkle the fresh greens on top and cut into squares.

Look at that crumb!!! 😍

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Easy Overnight Foccacia

Crispy, golden crust with a lovely soft texture inside. And oh so easy to make!

Ingredients:

4 cup flour

2 tsps salt

2 tsps instant yeast

2 cups lukewarm water (1/2 cup boiling + 1 1/2 cups cold)

4 - 6 tbsps olive oil, divided

flaky or coarse salt to top

1 - 2 tsps fresh chopped rosemary (optional)

Whisk together the flour, salt and yeast. Add water and mix until the water is absorbed by the flour and can form a sticky ball. Roll the ball of dough in 1 tbsp olive oil to coat and place in an oiled bowl (another 1 tbsp of oil) covered with a damp cloth and plastic wrap (Not just plastic wrap as pictured or crusty bits might form on top of the dough 😕) Now you can pop the bowl in the refrigerator for 12 hours or up to 3 days.

I left mine for about 18 hours this time. The dough was soft and pillowy. Line a 9 X 13" baking pan with parchment paper and oil it. Loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl, deflate it and turn it over on itself before turning it out onto the parchment. Coat it with oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave to rest on the counter for 3-4 hours. Then press your fingers in all over almost right to the bottom to make dimples. Brush with 1-2 tbsps of olive oil and top with flaky salt and rosemary.

Bake at 425°F for 25-30 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes before slicing.

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Rosemary Foccacia Rolls

No knead, no way!?! Yes way! These mini rosemary focaccia rolls are so easy to make. You can make it even easier on yourself and just bake as one square foccacia. But these little rolls are cute, right? 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsps instant (or rapid) yeast

1 1/2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

1/2 tsp dry thyme

1/2 tsp zest of lemon

1 1/2 tsps sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup warm water (120°F)

1 tbsp olive oil

Topping:

2 tbsps olive oil

1 - 1 1/2 tsps fresh chopped rosemary

sea salt for sprinkling

Stir the flour, yeast, 1 1/2 tsps rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, sugar and salt together in a large mixer bowl. Add the water and olive oil and beat for 1 minute. Use a thermometer to get the water temperature right. The dough will be a little more like batter. And that's it, no kneading!!

Oil a muffin tin well with vegetable oil and spoon the dough into 9 muffin cups. I found an ice cream scoop worked well. Let rise in a warm place, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (I like to turn my oven on for 1 minute, then turn it off. Perfect warm place for proofing.)

While waiting warm the topping oil and rosemary in a small saucepan on low heat for a minute or two, then cool. Once the rolls have risen gently spoon, brush or dab the herbed oil on top. Add a small sprig of rosemary if you like, then sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet to catch any oil that may drip. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.

Or for a traditional foccacia use an 8 X 8" pan and bake same temperature for 25-30 minutes.

Best served warm!

Makes 9 rolls

Adapted from seasonsandsuppers.ca