Peppered Focaccia Recipes

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/2 cups of flour, the sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the yeast in large bowl. Heat water and 2 tablespoons of the oil until very warm (120°F to 130°F); stir into flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally, until batter is springy and pulls away from side of bowl. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Cover and let rise in warm pace about 1 hour or until double. (If using quick yeast, omit 1-hour rising; cover and let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.)
• Grease 2 cookie sheets. Stir down dough; divide in half. Place each half on cookie sheet; press into 12-inch circle. Brush each circle with about 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Top each with half of the bell peppers, cheese, basil, oregano, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 to 12 minutes.
• Heat oven to 425°F. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°. Place focaccia on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle evenly with pizza cheese blend. Top with bell pepper and tomatoes. Drizzle with dressing.
• Bake about 10 minutes or until edge of focaccia is golden brown. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil. Cut into wedges.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt and yeast. Add the warm water to the flour mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated and a sticky dough forms. (Expect a very wet dough; no kneading required.) Pour 2 tablespoons oil into a medium bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turn to coat, and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 24 hours or for up to 2 days.
• When you're ready to bake, brush the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with oil. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer to the prepared pan. Using your hands, spread the dough out as much as possible, adding oil to the dough if needed to keep it from sticking. (Don't worry if the dough doesn't yet cover the full pan; it will once it relaxes and rises.) Place the dough in a warm place and let rise until about doubled in bulk. The rising time will vary considerably depending on the season. (In the summer, it may take only 20 minutes for the dough to warm up and rise; in the winter, it can take 1 hour or more.) When the dough is ready, it should be room temperature, spread out on the sheet and fluffy.
• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Using your palms, pat down the focaccia to an even thickness of about 1 inch, then, using your fingertips, dimple the entire dough. Drizzle it with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the entire surface of the focaccia evenly with the sea salt and herbs, if using.
• Bake, rotating once front to back, until the top is uniformly golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the focaccia on the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool, then slide out of the pan. Enjoy it hot. (Focaccia deteriorates in quality after the first day. If there is some left over, wrap it tightly in plastic and store at room temperature for another day. Day-old focaccia is delicious in soup.)

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment proof the yeast with the sugar in the water for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy, add the flour, the table salt, and 3 tablespoons of the oil, and combine the dough well. With the dough hook knead the dough for 2 minutes, or until it is soft and slightly sticky. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead in the pepperoni, the pepper, and the orégano until they are incorporated thoroughly. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is double in bulk. The dough may be made up to this point, punched down, and kept, covered and chilled, overnight. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. Press the dough evenly into an oiled jelly-roll pan, 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1 inches, and let it rise, covered loosely, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is almost double in bulk.
• Dimple the dough, making 1/4-inch-deep indentations with your fingertips, brush it with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and sprinkle it with the coarse salt. Bake the focaccia in the bottom third of a preheated 400°F. oven, covering it with foil if the pepperoni begins to burn, for 35 to 45 minutes, or until it is golden brown, let it cool in the pan on a rack, and serve it warm or at room temperature.