Spanish Focaccia Flatbread

Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients. It is related to pizza, but not considered to be the same.
Focaccia is popular in Italy and is usually seasoned with olive oil and salt, and sometimes herbs, and may be topped with onion, cheese and meat, or flavoured with a number of vegetables.

Focaccia doughs are similar in style and texture to pizza doughs, consisting of high-gluten flour, oil, water, salt and yeast. It is typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in a stone-bottom or hearth oven. Bakers often puncture the bread with a knife to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread.

Also common is the practice of dotting the bread. This creates multiple wells in the bread by using a finger or the handle of a utensil to poke the unbaked dough. As a way to preserve moisture in the bread, olive oil is then spread over the dough, by hand or with a pastry brush prior to rising and baking. In the northern part of Italy, lard will sometimes be added to the dough, giving the focaccia a softer, slightly flakier texture. Focaccia recipes are widely available, and with the popularity of bread machines, many cookbooks now provide versions of dough recipes that do not require hand kneading.

Focaccia can be used as a side to many meals, as a base for pizza, or as sandwich bread.

Why not try this interesting Spanish version of the traditional Italian focaccia flat bread.

POTATO AND ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

2 medium (about 300g) potatoes
1 tablespoon (14g) dried yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 cups (600g) plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm milk
2 medium (about 300g) potatoes, extra
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1/3 cup oil

Lightly grease 26cm x 32cm Swiss roll pan. Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until tender, drain; mash, cool. Cream yeast with a little of the water in a small bowl, stand in a warm place about 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy.

Sift flour and salt into large bowl, rub in mashed potato. Stir in yeast mixture, remaining water and milk, mix to a firm dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead about 5 minutes or until
dough is smooth and elastic. Return dough to large greased bowl, cover, stand in warm place about 2 hours or until dough is doubled in size. Turn dough onto floured surface, knead until smooth, press dough into prepared pan, cover, stand in warm place about 1 hour or until dough is doubled in size. Peel and thinly slice extra potatoes, arrange slices overlapping on top of dough. Sprinkle with garlic and rosemary; brush with oil. Bake in moderate oven about 1 hour or until potatoes are soft. Cool focaccia in pan.

Bread Making with Bill & Sheila

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