Grapebleu Cheesewalnut Focaccia Recipes

GRAPE FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, mix together flour and yeast. Add water and mix on medium speed until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until bubbling and doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Add salt; attach bowl to mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment and mix on low speed 3 minutes. Increase speed to medium and mix 30 seconds more (dough should be loose and sticky).
• Using a dough scraper, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold bottom edge of dough up toward center of dough and gently pat to deflate. Fold top edge down toward center, slightly overlapping bottom edge; pat gently, tapping off excess flour as you work (dough will be difficult to handle, but try not to incorporate too much flour). Gently transfer dough to a large bowl, seam-side down. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and repeat folding process. Return dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees (425 degrees if using a convection oven) with rack in center lined with a pizza stone, for at least 45 minutes.
• Coat a 14-by-3-inch round cake pan with 1/3 cup oil; turn dough out into pan, coating with oil. With oiled fingertips, push dough out toward edges of pan. If dough starts to retract, cover with plastic and let stand 5 minutes, then continue until it reaches edges of pan. In a bowl, toss grapes with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; arrange evenly on top of dough, gently pressing to adhere. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 45 minutes.
• Liberally sprinkle dough with flaky salt and sanding sugar. Dough should be well oiled; if necessary, drizzle with up to 2 tablespoons more oil.
• Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until bottom is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately transfer focaccia to a wire rack. Drizzle with any oil remaining in pan; sprinkle again with more flaky salt and sanding sugar. Let cool slightly. Focaccia may be served warm or at room temperature.

BLUE CHEESE, BALSAMIC ONION MARMALADE AND WALNUT FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Five hours before baking the focaccia, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and oil the bottom and interior sides with the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Begin panning and dimpling the dough, at 20-minute intervals, dipping your fingers in olive oil to keep them from sticking to the dough as you work. After three to four rounds of dimpling and resting, the dough will have relaxed enough to cover the whole pan. At this point, rub the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over the dough and cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap. Then allow 4 hours for the final rise.
• When the dough reaches the rim of the pan, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (425 degrees F for convection). Carefully peel off the plastic wrap and top the dough with the walnuts, pressing them into the dough. Spread the onion marmalade over the dough. Then top with the blue cheese, spacing the crumbles evenly so that every piece of the focaccia will include a pocket of blue cheese as well as walnuts and onions.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 8 minutes. Then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until the edge of the focaccia is golden brown and the dough is springy when poked in the center. The undercrust of the focaccia as well as the onions should be caramelized to a golden brown.
• Transfer the baked focaccia to the stovetop or to a heatproof counter. Using an offset spatula or bench blade, carefully slide it around the edge, between the crust and the side of the pan, and then lift the focaccia out of the pan and slide it onto a cutting board. If the parchment paper or baking mat is still clinging to the focaccia, remove it. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then cut into 3- or 4-inch squares and serve.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Add all of the water and mix on slow speed for 30 seconds or stir with a large spoon to form a coarse, shaggy dough. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil, increase the speed to medium (or continue mixing with the spoon or with wet hands), and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a wet, coarse, sticky dough. It may seem too wet to form a cohesive dough at this stage. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate.
• Increase the mixer speed to medium-high (or continue mixing by hand) and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a smooth, sticky dough. It should be soft, supple and sticky to the touch, and offer a little resistance when pressed with a wet finger.
• Use 1 teaspoon of the extra oil to make a 15-inch-diameter oil slick on the work surface. Rub some oil on a plastic bowl scraper and on your hands and use the scraper to transfer the dough to the oil slick. Stretch and fold the dough. Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold (rub more oil on the work surface as needed), cover the dough, and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Then repeat the stretch and fold, cover with the bowl, and again let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Perform a fourth and final stretch and fold to make a smooth ball of dough. The dough will have firmed up after each stretch and fold and will now be soft, smooth, supple, and somewhat sticky but firm enough to hold together when lifted. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 to 72 hours.
• In a large frying pan or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, lower the heat to medium-low, and saute, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent. Do not cook over high heat, as the outside of the onions will char before the interior has softened and sweetened. Continue stirring for another few minutes, until the onions have softened and begin to turn a light amber color. Add the sugar and continue stirring until the sugar melts and begins to bubble. Clear a space in the center of the pan, pour the balsamic vinegar directly into the hot pan, and then stir the onions into the vinegar. Continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, until all the onions are coated, and then remove the pan from the heat.
• In a mesh strainer set over a clean saucepan, strain the onions, pressing them with a large spoon to release their juice, and wait a few minutes until they stop dripping. Return the strained onions to the saucepan in which they were cooked and set them aside.
• Bring the juice to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until thickened. This should take only a few minutes, so don't leave the pan unattended. As soon as the juice thickens into a honeylike syrup, remove it from the heat, pour it all back over the onions, and stir with a rubber spatula until they are coated with the syrup. Stir in the salt and pepper and let the onions cool.
• Transfer the mixture to a container, seal tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or transfer to sandwich-size resealable freezer bags and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost at room temperature before using.
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

WALNUT FOUGASSE OR FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Add the walnut oil, whole wheat flour, 200 grams of the all-purpose or bread 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 the remaining 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 but it will be sticky. Remove from the bowl, flour your hands and knead for a minute on a lightly floured surface, and shape into a ball.
• If kneading the dough by hand, dissolve the yeast in the water with the sugar as directed. Stir in the walnut 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. 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. A handful at a time, knead the walnuts into the dough, until they are evenly distributed. Divide the dough into two equal pieces for smaller breads, or make one large focaccia or fougasse (see instructions below). 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 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and oil the parchment. Roll or press out each piece of dough into an oval or rectangle measuring about 9 by 7 inches. To do this efficiently, roll the dough, stop and wait 5 minutes for the gluten to relax, then roll again, and repeat until the dough reaches the right size. For fougasse, using a paring knife, make an incision down the center of the oval or rectangle, starting about 2 inches in from the top and ending 2 inches from the bottom. Make 3 diagonal slashes out from the center of the bread towards the edge, leaving about an inch of dough on either side of the center incision. The incisions should resemble the veins of a leaf. Leave a 2-inch border at the edge of the dough. Transfer the loaves to the baking sheets. Gently pull the bread apart at the slashes. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and a towel, and let rest for 30 minutes. For focaccia, roll or press out the dough and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Just before baking, use your fingertips to dimple the dough all over, and if desired drizzle on a tablespoon of olive oil.
• One at a time, bake the breads on top of the baking stone for 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely.

WALNUT AND BLUE CHEESE GRAPES

Steps:

• Line a small baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese, blue cheese, and heavy cream until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the grapes and stir until coated with the cheese mixture.
• In another small bowl, mix together the walnuts, sugar, and parsley.
• Using a fork, transfer the grapes, one at a time, to the walnut mixture and, using clean hands, gently roll in the mixture until coated. Place the grapes on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours and serve.
• Cook's Note: To toast the walnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.

GRAPE AND WALNUT SWEET FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment proof the yeast with the granulated sugar in the water for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy, add the flour, the salt, 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the butter, and combine the dough well. With the dough hook knead the dough for 2 minutes, or until it is soft and slightly sticky. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is double in bulk. The dough may be made up to this point, punched down, and kept, covered and chilled, overnight. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. Press the dough evenly into an oiled jelly-roll pan, 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1 inches, and let it rise, covered loosely, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is almost double in bulk.
• In a bowl stir together the grapes, the walnuts, and the Marsala and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the focaccia with the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar and bake it in the bottom third of a preheated 400°F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is cooked through and topping is caramelized. Let the focaccia cool in the pan on a rack and serve it warm or at room temperature.