Picture of Liguria Bakery
Caption: focaccia raisin
Caption: Almost every time I go to San Francisco, I am tempted to get focaccia from the place with the blue awning in North Beach aka Liguria Bakery.
There’s something so satisfying about being able to satiate a food craving that is exactly as you remember it. The focaccia at Liguria is light and fluffy but still has a slight chew. And of course let’s not forget the olive oil that gets absorbed in the bread leaving a sweet tang.
Caption: Even though I know I can’t get on the level of Liguria Bakery’s focaccia, I decided to make my own interpretation of this versatile flatbread. Focaccia bread is one of the easiest breads to make. This is partly because there are so few ingredients and also because the dough is quite forgiving. It’s not terribly sticky and comes together without a fuss. Bread making does take some time and patience but it is completely worth it in the end.
Caption: Ingredients:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup raisins
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Olive oil for coating the pan
Picture
Caption: Let’s start with plumping up the raisins.
Pour the boiling water over the raisins and cover with plastic wrap or a plate to keep the steam in.
Picture
Caption: In the meantime, proof the yeast.
Once the raisins look sufficiently plump, strain them and pat dry. Reserve the leftover liquid and place in a large mixing bowl with the fully proofed yeast, olive oil, salt and 2 1/2 cups of flour.
Picture
Caption: Vigorously stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue to add flour a 1/4 cup at a time until the dough becomes shaggy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Picture
Caption: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Picture
Picture
Caption: Gradually knead in the raisins until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Caption: Rising Option 1: Place dough in a lightly oiled ziplock plastic bag. Let rise in the fridge overnight.
Rising Option 2: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough to release all the air bubbles. Let rest for 15 minute to relax the gluten.
Picture
Caption: Lightly coat the sheet pan with olive oil. Use just enough so all corners and crevices are covered.
Caption: Turn out the dough onto the sheet pan. Dimple the dough to the shape of the sheet pan using your fingertips. If you find that the dough is resisting your touch, let it sit for another 15 minutes and try again until it’s spread to fit the pan. It doesn’t have to completely fit it but there should be no holes in the dough.
Picture
Picture
Caption: Cover the dough with a damp towel and place in a warm place for the second rise, about 45 minutes
Caption: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once the dough looks like it has doubled in size in the sheet pan, place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. If it gets too golden too fast, cover the top with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time.
Picture
Caption: Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes and then slide only a cooling rack. Cut into rectangles, squares or triangles. It can be served either warm or room temperature. Store in a airtight bag or container for 2 to 3 days or in the freezer for several months.
Picture
Caption: Enjoy! For the full post visit:
http://kneadbakecook.com/blog/2015/4/12/raisin-focaccia
kneadbakecook.com
Instagram: @karablakechin
Picture
