Everything Focaccia
Happy Monday friends! To start the week off right, I present… my everything focaccia! I’ve been testing this recipe for a bit, trying to capture the essence of an everything bagel and what else I would want to create the most incredible and flavorful focaccia. Don’t get me wrong, I love a simple and purist form of focaccia, but this iteration is perfectly all-encompassing and I love a super herb-y bread. When you begin with the warmed herb oil kneaded into the dough, the flavor is set in from the start. And finally topped with all the nutty seeds, garlic, olive oil and butter, this focaccia is everything we needed. This focaccia is fluffy and perfectly dense to hold in moisture. So any leftover focaccia can be sealed and eaten well into the next few days and retain its freshness. Although in my house, it doesn’t usually last that long.
EVERYTHING FOCACCIA
ingredients
9 x 13 baking dish
1 1/3 cup warm water (approx 110F)
3 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast or 1 packet
2 tsp flaky sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 Tbsp to drizzle
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely minced
2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely minced
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
1 Tbsp black poppy seeds
2 Tbsp dried garlic
Additional minced herbs for garnish
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Sea salt and pepper to taste
STEPS
In a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl, combine the warm water and sugar using the dough attachment. Add the yeast to the sugar-water mixture and mix for a few seconds and let it sit for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast foams on top.
While this is sitting, add the olive, garlic, and minced herbs to a sauce pan until heated. You want the garlic to slightly cook and the herbs to perfume the oil. Set the oil aside and let cool for 2-3 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour and sea salt.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on low, gradually add the flour and herb oil mixture to the yeast mixture. Alternate between flour and oil as you are adding it to the mixer. Now set the mixer to medium-low speed and mix for 5 minutes or until the dough begins to pull away from the walls of the bowl and form a smooth dough texture. If the dough is too sticky and does not pull away, you can gradually add flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough is set.
Grease another large mixing bowl. Take the dough and form it into a ball and place in the greased bowl and cover with a warm, damp cloth. Find a warm or sunny location and place the bowl and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
On a large, floured surface, turn the dough onto it and roll or press the dough into a large rectangle until the dough is about 1/2” thick and approximately the size of your 9 x 13” dish. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, set the oven to 400F degrees and grease the 9 x 13” dish.
Transfer the dough from the floured surface to the greased dish. With your fingers gently spread the dough to fit the pan. Using your fingers, poke deep dents into the dough throughout. If the dough sticks and does not form the dents, you can grease your fingers with olive oil and press again. Using the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, pour over so the dough so it collects in the wells of the dents you just created. Top the dough with the dried sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and garlic. Season the top with sea salt and pepper to taste.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown on top and cooked through.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Take the melted butter and brush on atop the focaccia. Add the minced herbs remaining on top of the focaccia. Slice and serve warm.
