My Kitchen Aid mixer is a lovely old beast. I think you can hear each individual gear as it mixes; whatever dough or batter is in the big old, dented bowl. She may groan a bit, but she gets the job done. She often takes the summer off, and each Fall, when I plug her back in, I hold my breath for a moment, hoping to hear those gears kick in and the motor run once again. True to form, she gets the job done!
This week, I set the mixer up to make a quick Pear & Honey Focaccia. This can be mixed by hand, but the old girl and I still have strength left in our motors!
Focaccia:
Makes 1 half sheet or two quarter sheet pans
Ingredients:
3 cups warm water
3 packets dried yeast
1 tablespoon honey
7 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur preferred, bread flour works as well.)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¾ cup olive oil
(When adding fresh herbs, I combine with olive oil)
Instructions:
- In bowl with dough hook, combine: water, yeast, sugar. let sit for 2 minutes.
- Add flour & salt. If adding dried spices or herbs, add now. Also a good time to add chili crisps.
- Mix until very soft dough forms, up to 5 minutes to develop a bit of gluten. This is a soft and sticky dough.
- To prepare pans, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil and coat entire pan. Should be puddly and runny.
- (I Olive oil my hands and the bowl scraper as well!)
- If dividing dough, do so as you pour into pan.
- Once dough is in pan, use your oiled hands to gently coax it into a flat form.
- Push out to edges, though don’t force.
- Set aside and let proof up to two hours.
- Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
- Once proofed, generously dimple the tops with oiled fingertips
- for this batch, I tucked sliced pears into the dough.
- Spread dough into the pan and let it rise
- Other options for topping:
- Thinly sliced cooked potatoes
- Cherry tomatoes and basil
- Onion circles
- Prosciutto
- If topping with fresh herbs, dredge through olive oil first, so they don’t burn
- Top with grated parmesan
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until sides pull away.
- Once out of the oven, drizzle more EVOO across the top
- Let cool, cut, serve