Fantastic Focaccia
This dish is amazing. The best part about it is you can change the toppings to suit your taste buds. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!
This dish is amazing. The best part about it is you can change the toppings to suit your taste buds. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!
- Carbohydrate 66.8903602233082 g
- Cholesterol 39.3119999999998 mg
- Fat 27.7805146392359 g
- Fiber 3.78375006437302 g
- Protein 25.7155209808989 g
- Saturated Fat 8.71125478867009 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (320g)
- Sodium 973.553306708314 mg
- Sugar 63.1066101589352 g
- Trans Fat 1.34011589177079 g
- Calories 619 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix in 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt. Add in Warm water and olive oil. Blend until dough forms. Continue to add the flour a little at a time until the dough ball is not sticky (about 6 minutes). Lift up dough and spray bowl with non stick spray. Place dough back in bowl and cover with wet towel and let rise on the oven while oven preheats to 375 (about 20 minutes).
- In a small fry pan add olive oil garlic onions and mushrooms and fry until soft on med low heat. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combined the remaining ingredients then the frying pan contents. Stir well add more herbs to taste if needed.
- remove dough from bowl after it has risen and put in a greased 9x13 dish and punch down flat. Let rise 10 more minutes. Add the toppings by spreading out evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
An ingredient list cannot reveal how water content dictates the final crumb of flatbread. When working with high-moisture elements like fresh plum tomatoes, surface evaporation rates change entirely compared to cured olives or dried herbs. Fresh produce introduces free water into the dough boundary layer, requiring precise heat control so the exterior achieves crispness without steaming the interior.
Fresh mushrooms and shallots release significant cellular water during baking, which alters local starch gelatinization and prevents standard browning if not pre-cooked. Sautéing these vegetables over medium-low heat drives off excess moisture before they hit the dough surface, protecting the 375-degree oven environment from humidity pockets. Conversely, preserved items like Kalamata and green olives contribute concentrated salinity and surface oils that actively fry the surrounding crust during the 30-minute bake.
Fresh basil reacts poorly to sustained radiant heat and must be added strategically to preserve its delicate volatile compounds. Dried Italian seasonings endure long cooking times because their essential oils are already locked into dehydrated plant structures, whereas fresh leaves char within minutes. Cooling the baked bread on a wire rack prevents bottom condensation from ruining the crisp texture achieved by the olive oil coating.
The Impact of Moisture on Crust Development
Fresh mushrooms and shallots release significant cellular water during baking, which alters local starch gelatinization and prevents standard browning if not pre-cooked. Sautéing these vegetables over medium-low heat drives off excess moisture before they hit the dough surface, protecting the 375-degree oven environment from humidity pockets. Conversely, preserved items like Kalamata and green olives contribute concentrated salinity and surface oils that actively fry the surrounding crust during the 30-minute bake.
Balancing Volatile Aromatics
Fresh basil reacts poorly to sustained radiant heat and must be added strategically to preserve its delicate volatile compounds. Dried Italian seasonings endure long cooking times because their essential oils are already locked into dehydrated plant structures, whereas fresh leaves char within minutes. Cooling the baked bread on a wire rack prevents bottom condensation from ruining the crisp texture achieved by the olive oil coating.
