Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Make Bread, She Said: It may sound challenging, but homemade focaccia is deliciously rewarding

When I was growing up, there were very few nights when we didn’t have bread with dinner. And it couldn’t be just any bread. My father insisted it had to be the real Italian bread he knew from his childhood.

And so, almost every week, he and my mother went to whatever Italian bakery was up and running at the time. In those days, several bakeries were making bread in old-fashioned wood ovens.

My mother would “stock up” at each visit: traditional long loaves, round “mothers’ loaves” and little hard rolls that bore no resemblance to the soft and squishy Pepperidge Farm variety. Then she would freeze them and always have them ready for warming in the oven.

But until my husband and I began dining in downtown Harrisburg, I had never heard of the bread known as focaccia. My mother never spoke of it, and I don’t remember ever having it at any Italian restaurant.

While Note Bistro and Wine Bar on 2nd Street in Harrisburg used to serve it prior to every meal, Mangia Qui on North Street still does. Qui Qui Musarra, owner and chef of Mangia Qui, pairs hers with wonderful Mediterranean olives and good, fruity green olive oil. It is delicious.

I did a little research to learn something about this special bread. Focaccia is most commonly associated with the region of Liguria, which is located on Italy’s northwest coast. But its history apparently dates back to the Romans, who are said to have “baked focaccia in coals on the hearth.” It’s a versatile bread that can be topped with fresh rosemary, black olives, tomatoes, mozzarella and, for a sweet version, white grapes.

I struggled to find a focaccia recipe and finally found one in a May 2005 “Tastes of Italia” magazine (I hoard cooking magazines). It’s for focaccia with rosemary similar to what our favorite Harrisburg restaurants serve. The recipe here is presented as directions and ingredients for the basic dough and then for the rosemary version. Even if you are not a proficient bread-maker, I think you will find making focaccia not hard and rather fun!

 

Focaccia with Rosemary

 Ingredients for basic focaccia dough

  • ½ cup warm water (105F to 115F)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh active dried yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1½ cups warm water
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3½ cups all- purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt

 

Directions for basic focaccia dough

 

  • In a large bowl, combine the ½ cup warm water, yeast and sugar. Whisk to mix well and then cover with plastic wrap for 5 minutes.
  • If the yeast is foamy after 5 minutes, stir in the additional 1½ cups warm water and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
  • Stir in the flour and salt until the dough is well blended and slightly sticky. You can use an electric mixer with a dough hook, but a big wooden spoon works just as well.
  • If you have stirred the dough by hand, knead it for 5 to 7 minutes and add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky.
  • Transfer the dough to a large bowl, coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.
  • Place dough on a lightly floured large sheet pan and gently press out with your fingertips until flat (similar to pressing out homemade pizza dough on a pan). Cover the sheet pan with a clean cloth and let it sit for 30 minutes.

 

Now you are ready to make rosemary focaccia.

 

Ingredients

  • Use ½ of the focaccia dough (cut the dough ball in half with a sharp knife, wrap well with plastic, and save in freezer for another time)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (dried will not do!)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of coarse sea salt (I only like a little. Some focaccia is so salty.)

 

Directions

  • Set the oven rack to a lower middle position and pre-heat the oven to 400F.
  • Uncover the dough and press indentations into the surface with your fingers. Then scatter the chopped rosemary over the top and sprinkle gently with sea salt.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven, cool the focaccia on a wire rack, and then cut into squares for serving.

As I write this, I am thinking that our readers will be thinking, “Well that’s a project!” But if you have a little time on a fall afternoon, give it a try. Focaccia is wonderful with soup and salads. It can be split horizontally and used for sandwiches. Boar’s Head makes a very good rosemary ham that can be thinly sliced and paired with a slice of cheese for a great sandwich.

Remember: Not too much sea salt on top, and don’t bother with focaccia from the supermarket!

 

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Continue Reading