The Cheese Board (26 page)

Fifteen minutes before the rounds have finished rising, arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Just before baking, firmly press the olives into the rounds to secure them. Place the baking sheets in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans front to back and trade their rack positions. Bake 10 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 25 minutes, or until light brown. Transfer the focaccias to a wire rack and brush with the rosemary olive oil. Let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.

These large, round focaccias are almost like pizzas. They make a nice light lunch or dinner with a side of salad.

Sprinkle each of 3 baking sheets with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 3 pieces. Gently form each piece into a
loose round
and place each in the center of a prepared pan. Cover with a floured kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until soft enough to stretch easily without springing back.

In a small bowl, combine the rosemary sprigs and olive oil. Set aside.

Gently pull, pat, and stretch the dough to make three 9- to 10-inch circles with an even thickness throughout. Brush with the rosemary olive oil. Divide the tomato slices evenly among the 3 rounds. Starting 1½ inches from the outer rim of each round, firmly press the tomato slices into the dough, leaving a little space between the slices for the olives. Firmly press the olives into the dough. Cover the rounds with a floured kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours, or until increased in size by one-fourth.

Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. If using a baking stone, 45 minutes before the focaccias have finished rising, place the stone on the floor of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. If using baking sheets only, preheat the oven to 375° 15 minutes before the rounds have finished rising. Just before baking, firmly press the olives into the rounds to secure them.

If using a baking stone,
place a baking sheet with a focaccia on the lower oven rack and bake for 13 minutes. Rotate the foccacia to the upper rack and put the second focaccia on the lower rack. Bake each for 13 minutes, then slide the first focaccia from the pan directly onto the baking stone. Move the second focaccia to the upper rack and put the third focaccia on the lower rack. Bake the focaccia on the stone for 4 to 8 minutes, for a total baking time of 30 to 34 minutes, or until lightly browned. Finish baking the second and third focaccias in the same manner.

If using baking sheets only,
place two of the pans in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans front to back and trade their rack positions. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Repeat the process with the third baking sheet.

Transfer the focaccias to a wire rack and brush with the rosemary olive oil. Whisk the vinegar and oil together in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush the tomato slices with the vinaigrette and spoon a few capers on top of each tomato slice. Let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.

 

This bread is an example of delicious simplicity: a golden brown, crisp focaccia, brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and garnished with fresh rosemary leaves and coarse sea salt. The flavor of each individual ingredient comes through, yet the focaccia has a unified flavor. The crust is so lightly garnished that it has a totally different texture from other focaccias. A great accompaniment for a bowl of soup.

Sprinkle a baking sheet with the cornmeal. Place the dough on the baking sheet and cover with a floured kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until soft enough to stretch easily without springing back.

In a small bowl, combine the rosemary leaves and olive oil. Set aside.

Gently pull, pat, and stretch the dough to make a 7 by 11-inch rectangle with an even thickness throughout. Brush with the rosemary olive oil and cover with a floured kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours, or until increased in size by one-fourth.

Remove all but the middle rack from the oven. If using a baking stone, 45 minutes before the dough has finished rising, place the stone on the floor of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. If using a baking sheet only, preheat the oven to 400°F 15 minutes before the dough has finished rising.

Using the tips of your fingers, dimple the dough over the entire surface. Sprinkle the sea salt evenly over the dough.

If using a baking stone,
place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the
sheet front to back. Bake 10 minutes longer. Slide the focaccia from the pan directly onto the baking stone and bake 5 more minutes, for a total baking time of 30 minutes, or until crisp on the bottom and lightly browned on top.

If using a baking sheet only,
place the focaccia in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet front to back. Bake 15 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 30 minutes, or until crisp on the bottom and lightly browned on top.

Transfer the focaccia to a wire rack and brush with the rosemary olive oil. Strip the rosemary leaves from the stems and sprinkle them over the focaccia. Let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.

The rich flavor of the
sun-dried tomato pesto on this focaccia is well matched to the sourdough crust. Use moist sun-dried tomatoes with a rich, deep red color. While it is tempting to ladle a thick layer of the pesto on the top of the focaccia, restrain yourself, since too much will make the bread soggy.

Sprinkle a baking sheet with the cornmeal. Place the dough on the baking sheet and cover with a floured kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until soft enough to stretch easily without springing back.

In a small bowl, combine the crushed garlic and olive oil. Set aside.

Gently pull, pat, and stretch the dough to make a 7 by 11-inch rectangle with an even thickness throughout. Brush with the garlic oil and cover with a floured kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours, or until increased in size by one-fourth.

While the dough is rising, make the sun-dried tomato pesto. In a medium bowl, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in the warm water until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Put the tomatoes and garlic in a food processor and process to a smooth purée. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil. If the pesto is too thick, add a small amount of the reserved liquid. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

Remove all but the middle rack from the oven. If using a baking stone, 45 minutes before the dough has finished rising, place the stone on the floor of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. If using a baking sheet only, preheat the oven to 400°F 15 minutes before the dough has finished rising.

Using the tips of your fingers, dimple the dough over the entire surface.

If using a baking stone,
place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the sheet front to back. Bake 10 minutes longer. Slide the focaccia from the pan directly onto the baking stone and bake 5 more minutes, for a total baking time of 30 minutes, or until crisp on the bottom and lightly browned on top.

If using a baking sheet only,
place the focaccia in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet front to back. Bake 15 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 30 minutes, or until crisp on the bottom and lightly browned on top.

Transfer the focaccia to a wire rack and brush with the garlic oil. With a rubber spatula, apply a thin layer of tomato pesto. Sprinkle with the green onions and Parmesan cheese. Let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.

We use pesto in a variety of ways at the Cheese Board: to garnish pizzas and focaccia, and to make pesto Brie (not to mention the occasional staff lunch of pasta al pesto). Our focaccia bakers know that there is a lot of competition for available pesto, so they often hide their batch in the nooks and crannies of the big walk-in refrigerator, to make sure they have it when they need it. The addition of lemon juice helps keep the color of the pesto bright.