Olive Potato Focaccia With Asparagus Menorah Recipes

POTATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest in a warm place for 25 minutes.
• Mix in the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour, until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough adheres to the hook. It should remain soft and slightly sticky. Continue mixing for about 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Remove from the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and put into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour, to let the dough rise until doubled.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook slowly until very crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve the pancetta and fat separately.
• Put the potatoes in cold salted water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook about 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and place in a bowl.
• Pour the pancetta fat over the warm potatoes, add the crisped pancetta, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon zest. Toss well and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a baking sheet.
• Lightly flour the dough and punch it down. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 10 inches. Brush off any excess flour and transfer to the oiled baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the potato mixture onto the dough and press it in with the flat of your hand. Press your fingers into the dough to make evenly spaced indentations all over the surface, being careful not to puncture or tear the dough. Scatter the remaining rosemary over the dough.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and the bread is crisp on the bottom. Let cool in the pan to room temperature. Cut into squares, "fingers," or triangles to serve.

VEGGIE FOCACCIA

Steps:

• For the focaccia: Combine the water, salt, sugar and yeast in a spouted measuring cup. Whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Combine the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together, then switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-high speed until smooth and stretchy, about 5 minutes. The dough should form a loose, somewhat sticky ball on the dough hook, but won't entirely clean the sides of the bowl. (If the dough doesn't form a ball at all, add tablespoons of flour, up to 1/4 cups.)
• Brush a quarter-sheet pan with 2 tablespoons oil. Add the dough, then turn to coat and press to almost fill the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the temperature of your room.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Uncover the dough and gently press all of the way to the edges of the pan. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. If you'd like to make a vertical landscape, turn the pan with the short side facing you.
• For decoration: Start with a layer of seeds on the bottom. Using asparagus, long chives and scallion greens, add your tall stems first, then cover those at the bottom with shorter sprigs of herbs to make some ground cover. Add some butterflies, made with horizontal slices of baby bell peppers and chive antennae. Once you're happy with the arrangement, press down on the decorations to make sure they stick to the dough.
• Use your finger to gently dimple the dough in the space where you haven't decorated. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the focaccia is risen and the top and bottom are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.