Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipes

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Add 2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil, the whole-wheat flour, 200 grams of the all-purpose flour and salt and mix together briefly using the paddle attachment. Change to the dough hook and beat for 8 to 10 minutes at medium speed, adding flour as necessary. The dough should eventually form a ball around the dough hook and slap against the sides of the bowl as the mixer turns; it will be sticky. Remove from the bowl, flour your hands and knead the dough for a minute on a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a ball.
• If kneading the dough by hand, dissolve the yeast in the water with the sugar as directed. Stir in the olive oil, whole-wheat flour, salt and all-purpose flour by the half-cup, until the dough can be scraped out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, for 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth. Shape into a ball.
• Clean and dry your bowl and oil lightly with olive oil. Place the dough in it, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover tightly with plastic and let rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours, until doubled.
• Punch down the dough. Cover with lightly oiled plastic and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably with a baking stone in it. Line a sheet pan with parchment and oil generously. Roll or press out the dough into a rectangle the size of the sheet pan. To do this efficiently, roll or press out the dough, stop and wait 5 minutes for the gluten to relax, then roll or press out again, and repeat until the dough reaches the right size. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Just before baking, use your fingertips to dimple the dough all over, and drizzle on a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
• Bake, setting the pan on top of the baking stone (if using), for 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely.
• Sprinkle the top, once you've dimpled it, with your choice of: Coarse sea salt; 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, thyme or sage; Pitted black olives; Roasted red peppers, diced or sliced
• When the bread is done and has cooled, cut in half laterally (or cut individual squares laterally). Fill with any of the toppings listed this week. Or try this: blanched fresh spinach, squeezed dry, chopped, seasoned with garlic and olive oil and mixed with softened goat cheese. Warm in a medium oven or lightly toast in a toaster oven before serving.

Steps:

• To make the poolish: Whisk the whole wheat flour, steel-cut oats, water and yeast in medium bowl. Cover with plastic and set aside at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight.
• To make the dough: Whisk the all-purpose, whole wheat, and oat flour, flaxseed, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the poolish, water, and olive oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour with a wooden spoon to make a very sticky loose dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured work surface or prep mat. Coat your hands with flour and press dough into a 12 by 8-inch rectangle (long side towards you). Using a bench scraper, fold the dough as you would a business letter. (The dough is very wet and this may seem odd, but just move quickly with the scraper and fold 1 end of the dough over the other. Make sure you brush any raw flour from the surface of the dough before you fold over the second end). Spray with cooking spray and cover with a kitchen towel. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Fold the dough again like a letter, and rest for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Divide the olive oil among 2 pans and swirl to coat the pan. Divide dough in half and transfer a piece to each pan, turn dough over to coat both sides with oil, then press dough evenly into the pans. Scatter the garlic, thyme, and rosemary over the top and press the toppings into the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle with sea salt and scatter the cheese on top. (See Cook's Note.)
• Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Slip focaccia from the pans and cool on a rack.

Steps:

• Place the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar, sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it bloom until bubbly, 5 to 15 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine the 4 cups all-purpose flour and the wheat flour together with the salt and chopped rosemary. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bloomed yeast in the stand mixer. Then add 1/2 cup of the olive oil.
• Using the dough hook attachment, mix the dough on medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be very loose.
• Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface and knead by hand for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Wipe out the stand mixer bowl and coat with some olive oil. Return the dough to the oiled bowl and let it rest in a warm place, covered with a dish towel, until doubled in size, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Oil a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Spread the dough into the baking sheet using your fingertips to create dimples all over the dough. The more dimples you make, the more texture the bread will have.
• Brush oil all over the dough with a pastry brush and sprinkle rosemary leaves into some of the dimples. Top with the tomato slices and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover the dough again with the towel and let rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, another 30 minutes.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Bake the dough until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• NOTE: homemade herbes de Provence is easy to make. **Very important to use a herbes de Provence recipe that has lavender. Some recipes do not specify it.
• In a small bowl, stir the sugar and yeast into 1 1/2 cups warm water. Allow to stand 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes bubbly.
• In a food processor or large bowl, combine both flours and the salt. Add the yeast mixture and process until soft dough forms. Pour 4 tablespoons of the olive oil through the feed tube while the motor is running. Process 2 minutes more or until dough pulls from the side of the processor.
• Transfer dough to bowl coated with olive oil, cover with clean kitchen cotton towel and proof 45 minutes in warm spot.
• Prepare a baking sheet by coating with oil. Pat the dough into an 11 x 13-inch rectangle. (The shape doesn't have to be perfect because this is a rustic bread.) Cover with clean cotton towel and let rise 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place oven rack on lowest level. With your fingertips, gently poke holes randomly all over the bread dough. Brush focaccia with olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with the herbes de Provence and a little bit of salt.
• Bake approximately 30 minutes or until both the top and bottom of bread are golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let set for 15 minutes before slicing. (We don't slice however, we grab and tear.).

Steps:

• Poolish (Pre-ferment):.
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (4 1/2 ounces).
• 1/2 cup steel-cut oats, sometimes called Irish or Scotch oats (3 1/4 ounces).
• 3/4 cup water.
• Pinch active dry yeast.
• Dough:.
• 2 1//4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed (9 7/8 ounces).
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (3 1/2 ounce).
• 1/2 cup oat flour (1 3/4 ounce).
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal (1 ounce).
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1/4 ounce package).
• 2 teaspoons fine salt (3/4 ounce).
• 1 3/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F).
• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
• Cooking spray.
• Toppings:.
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped.
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, chopped (about 2 teaspoons).
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped (about 2 teaspoons).
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
• 1 tablespoon medium-coarse sea salt.
• 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved into large pieces.
• Equipment: 2 pans, either jelly roll, 1/4 sheet, or 9-inch square metal.
• To make the poolish: Whisk the whole wheat flour, steel-cut oats, water and yeast in medium bowl. Cover with plastic and set aside at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight.
• To make the dough: Whisk the all-purpose, whole wheat, and oat flour, flaxseed, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the poolish, water, and olive oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour with a wooden spoon to make a very sticky loose dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured work surface or prep mat. Coat your hands with flour and press dough into a 12 by 8-inch rectangle (long side towards you). Using a bench scraper, fold the dough as you would a business letter. (The dough is very wet and this may seem odd, but just move quickly with the scraper and fold 1 end of the dough over the other. Make sure you brush any raw flour from the surface of the dough before you fold over the second end). Spray with cooking spray and cover with a kitchen towel. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Fold the dough again like a letter, and rest for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Divide the olive oil among 2 pans and swirl to coat the pan. Divide dough in half and transfer a piece to each pan, turn dough over to coat both sides with oil, then press dough evenly into the pans. Scatter the garlic, thyme, and rosemary over the top and press the toppings into the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle with sea salt and scatter the cheese on top. (See Cook's Note.).
• Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Slip focaccia from the pans and cool on a rack.
• Cooks' Note: The focaccia dough can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated at this point for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature for about 2 hours before baking.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2-cup warm water and honey; let stand for 5 minutes. Add flour, 1/4 cup oil, salt and remaining 3/4-cup water; mixing until smooth (dough will be wet). Scrape the sides of the bowl clean; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes., Preheat oven to 425°. Brush a 13x9-in. baking pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Gently scrape dough directly into pan. With oiled hands, gently spread dough. If dough springs back, wait 10 minutes and stretch again. Make indentations in the dough with your fingers. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; let rise until doubled in size, 30-40 minutes. , If desired, sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cut into squares; serve warm.