Angeli Caffe's Focaccia
Evan Kleiman, the chef and owner of Angeli Caffe (see Family Style) in Los Angeles, gave us this recipe for Italian flatbread, which she tops with 'nduja, a spreadable cured meat. You can buy 'nduja from the San Francisco-based pork store, Boccalone.
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Credit: André Baranowski
Ingredients
4 ¾ cups flour2 tsp. kosher salt
1 ¼-oz. package active dry yeast
5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Sea salt, to taste
8 oz. 'nduja, at room temperature (optional)
Instructions
1. Place flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. With the processor running, slowly add 2 cups water heated to 115 degrees until a dough forms. Add 2 tbsp. oil and pulse until just combined. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth, about 1 minute. Lightly grease a bowl with 1 tbsp. oil; place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.2. Heat oven to 450°. Lightly grease a 13" x 18" rimmed baking sheet with 2 tbsp. oil and transfer dough to baking sheet. Press and stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and, using your fingers, lightly dimple the dough. Drizzle more oil over dough and sprinkle with sea salt; bake until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove focaccia from oven and, while still warm, spread evenly with 'nduja, if using. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
The dough coming out of the cusinart was so wet it stuck to my work surface, and it needed an additional 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour.
The oven temp of 450 combined with the half hour of baking created a hard crusted bread.
I would do the following next time, if I try it:
cut the water to 1 1/2 cups
lower oven temp to 375 and check after 15 mins.