Fennel Seed Focaccia With Kalamata Olives Recipes

FENNEL FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Cook the fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Combine the flour, water, 3 tablespoons olive oil, the yeast, sugar, kosher salt and the toasted fennel seeds in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, dust with more flour and knead, stretching the dough and folding it over itself, until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes (dust with more flour as needed). Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch nonstick baking dish with 3 tablespoons olive oil, letting the excess oil pool on the bottom. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and push it to the edges with your fingers (it should almost fill the pan). Cover and let rise again until the dough is puffed and the pan is full, about 1 hour.
• Uncover the dough and press deep dimples all around with your fingers. Scatter the fennel over the dough and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, letting some oil pool in the dimples. Sprinkle generously with flaky salt. Cover and let rise again until small bubbles appear in the dough, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450˚.
• Uncover the dough and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

FENNEL & ORANGE SALAD WITH RED ONION & OLIVES

Steps:

• Slice the onion half lengthwise as thinly as you can. Put the sliced onion in a bowl and cover with cold water to mellow its flavor and keep it crisp. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Working with one orange at a time, slice off both ends. Set the orange on a cutting board, one cut side down. With a sharp knife, cut away the peel (the zest and white pith) by slicing from top to bottom, following the contour of the orange. Working over a bowl to collect any juice, release the orange segments by carefully cutting them away from the membrane that separates them. Remove any seeds and put the orange segments in another bowl, separate from the juice. Squeeze the membranes over the juice bowl.
• Cut the fennel in quarters lengthwise and then trim away most of the core, leaving just enough intact to keep the layers together. Slice the quarters lengthwise as thinly as you can.
• With a paring knife, slice the olive flesh off the pits lengthwise. In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point several hours in advance. If working ahead, wrap and refrigerate the fennel; don't chop the mint until just before serving.)
• Drain the sliced onion and toss it with the fennel. Put the fennel and onion in a shallow salad bowl or on a rimmed serving platter. Drizzle with the reserved orange juice. Arrange the orange segments on top and sprinkle with the olives and mint.
• Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad. Add several grinds of black pepper and serve immediately.

FENNEL SEED FOCACCIA WITH KALAMATA OLIVES

Steps:

• Make starter:
• Mix flour and yeast in 8- to 10-cup bowl. Using wooden spoon, stir in 3/4 cup water; beat until smooth soft dough forms, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Cover with plastic; let stand 30 minutes. Chill overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before continuing.
• Make dough:
• Stir 1/4 cup warm water and yeast in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Add starter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cool water. Using wooden spoon, mix starter and water 1 minute (mixture will look milky and foamy). Mix in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 4 teaspoons salt, milk and fennel. Add 3 1/3 cups bread flour, about 1 cup at a time, mixing until very soft sticky dough forms.
• Knead dough gently on floured surface until dough comes together but is still sticky, sprinkling with more flour and loosening dough from surface with pastry scraper, about 5 minutes. Return to same bowl. Cover with plastic; let rest until firmer and less sticky, about 20 minutes.
• Knead dough gently on floured surface until supple and elastic, sprinkling with flour to prevent sticking, about 5 minutes. Push dough out to 12-inch square. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup chopped olives; fold dough over olives. Knead gently to distribute olives; shape into ball.
• Oil large bowl with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Uncover; fold dough edges in toward center. Turn dough over, releasing some air but deflating as little as possible. Cover; let rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Oil 17x11-inch baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Turn out dough onto pan. Without deflating dough, gently stretch and push dough to cover pan. If dough springs back, let rest 5 minutes, then stretch. Repeat resting and stretching until dough stays in place. Press quartered olives over surface. Indent dough with fingertips in several places. Let rise until puffy, about 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle dough with 1 teaspoon salt. Place pan in oven. Spray oven with water 8 times. Close door 1 minute. Open and spray several times more. Close door; bake focaccia 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake focaccia until golden and crusty, about 12 minutes longer. Cool focaccia on rack 30 minutes.

FOCACCIA WITH CLEMENTINE AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stretch the pizza dough to fit the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Evenly distribute the clementine slices, shaved fennel and fennel seeds over the dough, pushing them gently into the dough. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and drizzle with an additional teaspoon of olive oil if desired.
• Bake the focaccia until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.