Bacon Focaccia Recipes

THREE FLAVOUR FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Place the flours and ½ tablespoon of sea salt into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water, and mix with a fork. Leave this for a few minutes and, when it starts to foam, slowly pour it into the well, mixing with a fork as you go.
• As soon as all the ingredients come together, which may take a minute or so, knead vigorously for around 5 minutes until you have a smooth, springy, soft dough.
• Lightly oil a large bowl with some olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Dust with a little extra flour, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes until doubled in size.
• While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7 and prepare the toppings.
• For the balsamic onion topping, finely slice the onions and pick the thyme leaves. Fry the onions and thyme in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Add 6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, reduce for a minute or two, then leave to cool.
• For the basil and cherry tomato topping, pick and roughly chop the basil leaves and halve the tomatoes. Pop the basil and tomatoes into a bowl and season with sea salt and black pepper, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a tiny splash of white wine vinegar. Peel and slice the garlic and mix into the bowl.
• To cook the focaccia, as soon as the dough has risen, pound it, then place on a baking tray and spread it out to cover the tray. Push down roughly on top of the dough like a piano to make lots of rough dips and wells.
• Divide the onion and the tomato toppings over two thirds of the focaccia.
• For the three-cheese and rosemary topping, break up the Taleggio and the goat's cheese over the remaining third of the focaccia. Grate a handful of Parmesan cheese and pick the rosemary leaves. Sprinkle both over the final third and season with pepper. Finish with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
• Leave to prove for a further 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes, until golden on top and soft in the middle.

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix the yeast into one side of the flour, and the fine salt into the other side. Then mix everything together, this initial seperation prevents the salt from killing the yeast.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tbsp oil and 350-400ml lukewarm water, adding it gradually until you have a slightly sticky dough (you may not need all the water). Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until your dough is soft and less sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Oil a rectangle, shallow tin (25 x 35cm). Tip the dough onto the work surface, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples. Mix together 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp water and the flaky salt and drizzle over the bread. Push sprigs of rosemary into the dimples in the dough.
• Bake for 20 mins until golden. Whilst the bread is still hot, drizzle over 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with extra olive oil, if you like.

BLUE CHEESE-BACON FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and honey in 1/2 cup warm water (110°F-115°F) in a small bowl. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Combine 4 1/2 cups flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, 6 tablespoons oil, potatoes, and 1 cup warm water. Mix with a wooden spoon until almost incorporated, then finish mixing with your hands. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, 4-6 minutes, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough seems very sticky (dough should be soft and elastic).
• Brush a large bowl with oil; place dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until it is light golden but not crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush a 17x11x1" baking sheet with oil. Press dough into pan. Press with your fingertips all over, forming dimples. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over.
• Bake focaccia for 10 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over, then bacon and rosemary. Return to oven and bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan. Slide bread onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice into 2x1" pieces.

BACON AND CHEESE FOCACCIA BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, rosemary and basil. Add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and warm water. 2. When the dough comes together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. 3. Oil a large bowl and place the dough into the bowl, turning it to coat with oil. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.4. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease large baking sheet. With flour-dusted hands, press dough into 14x12-inch flat oval on baking sheet.5. Brush the top of the loaf with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with cheese and bacon.6. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TOMATO-BACON DIP WITH FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in bacon, tomato and onion. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. , If desired, sprinkle with bacon and parsley; serve with focaccia.

BACON FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, and sugar. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool until just warm enough you can stand to keep your finger in the liquid for a few seconds (about 105 degrees F).
• In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour with yeast. Pour milk mixture into yeast mixture, and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the yeast bloom. {My mixture didn't get super bubbly, and the bread came out great)
• Add remaining flour, cornstarch, salt, eggs, and bacon. Mix ingredients using a stand mixture with dough hook attachment. If the dough is too dry, add a milk (a tablespoon at a time) until the dough is well combined. (if the dough gets too wet, mix in a little extra flour.)
• Form the dough into a ball, and place in a large bowl that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. turn the dough in the bowl to coat all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place - until doubled in size. {It's so pretty when you take the towel off for the reveal!}
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Transfer the dough to the baking dish. Using your hands, press the dough into the pan so that it reaches all the edges and corners of the pan. Set side for another 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden on top and the bottom of the bread, is browned. Remove from oven. Let bread sit in the baking dish for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cut into 12 squares and serve! You can also cut 4 or 6 larger squares for sandwich bread. Simply cut each large square in half horizontally and make your sandwich! Or or or...make slider sandwiches out of the 12 smaller squares!

BACON AND TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Prepare the basic focaccia, setting it to rise as in Step 4 above.
• While the dough is rising, fry the bacon until it is golden. Set aside to drain on paper towels. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it coarsely.
• Once the focaccia has risen and has been placed in the pan ready to bake, as in Step 6 above, sprinkle it with the bacon.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Sprinkle the focaccia with the scallions. Slice tomatoes one-fourth-inch thick and arrange them on the surface, over the bacon and scallions. Brush them with the olive oil.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the bottom is browned and the top is puffy and lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper and serve.

BACON FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a metal bowl, whisk together milk, water, and sugar. Stir in yeast and 1 cup all-purpose flour; let stand in a warm place until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in eggs, remaining 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, cake flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and cooked bacon. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, knead for 8 minutes. Work dough into a ball and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil onto a metal 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer dough to baking dish and flatten with your fingers (make sure dough reaches edge of pan). Evenly scatter the roasted vegetables on top and gently press them into dough. Place in a warm spot and let rise again until doubled, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt.
• Bake until evenly golden and, when turned out of the pan, bottom is browned, 12 minutes. Let cool completely 5 minutes in pan; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.