Recipe: Foccasia

Makes one large loaf or 3 small loaves or a bunch of mini pizza like loaves

2 cups warm water (90-100°)

1 T active dry yeast

6 T extra virgin olive oil

2 tea salt

4 3/4 cups bread flour (depending on the humidity, you may need more)

Toppings of your choosing

Stir water and yeast in mixer mixing bowl. Let rest about 5 minutes. Mix in 5 T olive oil and salt. Add one cup flour. Turn mixer on low. Add remaining flour, one cup at a time. Dough should come together and be soft and maybe slightly sticky. Scrape dough into a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Lightly oil a large baking sheet or spray with olive oil spray. Slide dough out onto baking sheet. With your palms, stretch the dough until it about covers the baking sheet. Press fingers over dough making little indentations. Brush with remaining 1 or 2 of olive oil. Top with toppings pressing in. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature about 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Move to a rack to cool. Slice and serve.

We like it with sliced onions and olives (either or both), with roasted peppers and garlic or with mixed herbs (rosemary, marjoram and thyme) and coarse salt or with sage. Or you can make smaller loafs and top each with different toppings, like mini pizza. You can also add 1 T coarsely ground cracked pepper to the yeast at the onset for a dough with a kick to it.

You can also use it for sandwiches.

Peggy Bloodworth is left a high tech sales VP job to cook, create and entertain. She started an exclusive catering company: Swank Catering, where she, along with her business partner, Diane, plan and execute swank parties and weddings. She maintains a large garden and vineyard where she grows herbs, fruits and vegetable and puts them up for sharing and consuming year around. Check out her website for more recipes.

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