Rosemary Rock Salt Focaccia with Coarse Olive Tapenade
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
  • Focaccia:
  • 1¾ cups warm water
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • .
  • Tapenade:
  • 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1 cup pimento stuffed Manzanilla olives
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 Tbsp capers
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm (not hot or cool) place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic- at least 15 minutes.
  2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, ½ cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
  3. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
  4. Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
  5. Coat a large baking sheet with the remaining ½ cup olive oil. (trust me, don't skimp the oil, this is what makes focaccia as delicious as it is)
  6. Put the dough onto the baking sheet and press it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. (Yes, this is weird, but when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia.)
  7. Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  8. Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.
  9. To make the tapenade: place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until chopped into a coarse paste. Taste and adjust for seasoning as needed.
Notes
* Focaccia recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell via the Food Network. I'd love to claim it as my own but I made zero alterations to it- you can't improve on perfection!
Recipe by Port and Fin at https://portandfin.com/rosemary-rock-salt-focaccia-with-zesty-olive-tapenade/