SEATTLE —
TOMATO-OLIVE FOCACCIA
This recipe recreates the light, open-crumbed focaccia we ate at Panificio Fiore in Bari, Italy. To achieve that texture, the dough must be wet—so wet, in fact, it verges on a thick, yet pourable batter. Resist the temptation to add more flour than is called for. Shaping such a sticky, high-hydration dough by hand is impossible. Instead, the dough is gently poured and scraped into the oiled baking pan; gravity settles it into an even layer. If you have trouble finding Castelvetrano olives, substitute any large, meaty green olive. To slice the baked focaccia for serving, use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut through the crust and crumb without compressing it. If desired, serve with extra-virgin olive oil for dipping. For convenience, the dough can be prepared and transferred to the baking pan a day in advance. After it has settled in the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The next day, prepare the toppings. Uncover, top the dough with the olives and tomatoes and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes, then finish and bake as directed.
Start to finish: 7¼ hours (40 minutes active), plus cooling
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
- 502 grams (3_ cups) bread flour
- 5 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 cups water, cool room temperature
- 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided
- 130 grams (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 138 grams (1 cup) Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved (see headnote)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
Don’t disturb the dough during its rise. And when transferring the dough to the baking pan, handle it gently. The goal is to retain as much gas in the dough as possible so the focaccia bakes up with an airy texture. Don’t use a baking dish made of glass or ceramic; neither will produce a crisp, browned exterior, and glass is not safe to use in a 500°F oven.
In a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix the €our, yeast and sugar on medium until combined, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the water, then increase to medium and mix until the ingredients form a very wet, smooth dough, about 5 minutes. Turn o. the mixer, cover the bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat the bottom and sides of a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil; set aside.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over the dough, then knead on medium until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes; the dough will be wet enough to cling to the sides of the bowl. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the dough into the oiled bowl. Dip your fingers into the oil pooled at the sides of the bowl and dab the surface of the dough until completely coated with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 5½ to 6 hours; during this time, the dough will double in volume, deflate, then rise again (but will not double in volume again).
After the dough has risen for about 4½ hours, heat the oven to 500°F with a baking steel or stone on the middle rack. Mist a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray, then pour 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in the center of the pan; set aside.
When the dough is ready, gently pour it into the prepared pan, scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula to loosen; try to retain as much air in the dough as possible. The dough will eventually settle into an even layer in the pan; do not spread the dough with a spatula, as this will cause it to deflate. Set aside while you prepare the tomatoes.
In a medium bowl, use a potato masher to lightly crush the tomatoes. Scatter the olives evenly over the dough, then do the same with the tomatoes, leaving the juice and seeds in the bowl. If the dough has not fully filled the corners of the pan, use your hands to lightly press the toppings to push the dough into the corners. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Drizzle the dough with the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, making sure each tomato is coated. Sprinkle evenly with the oregano, remaining 1½ teaspoons salt and the pepper. Place the pan on the baking steel or stone and bake until golden brown and the sides of the focaccia have pulled away from the pan, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, lift the focaccia from the pan and slide it onto the rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
STOVETOP CHOCOLATE CAKE
Steaming a standard chocolate cake batter produces a light, moist cake, and lets us avoid having to turn on the oven. To elevate the cake above the water that steams it, we fashion a ring from foil. Brown sugar and espresso powder give the cake complexity, while sour cream adds richness and a welcome tang. If your Dutch oven has a self-basting lid—bumps or spikes on the underside—lay a sheet of foil across the top of the pot before putting the lid in place to prevent water from dripping onto the surface. We like serving this cake dusted with powdered sugar or topped with whipped cream.
Start to finish: 35 minutes (10 minutes active), plus cooling
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
- 130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 28 grams (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 218 grams (1 cup) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 120 grams (½ cup) sour cream
- 85 grams (6 tablespoons) salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Don’t open the Dutch oven too often while steaming, but do ensure that the water is at a very gentle simmer. You should see steam emerging from the pot. If the heat is too high, the water will boil away before the cake is cooked.
Cut an 18-inch length of foil and gently scrunch together to form a snake about 1 inch thick. Shape into a ring and set it in a large Dutch oven. Add enough water to reach three-quarters up the coil. Mist the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line the bottom with a round of kitchen parchment and mist the parchment. Place the pan in the pot on top of the foil ring.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until slightly lightened, about 30 seconds. Whisk in ½ cup water, the espresso powder, sour cream, butter and vanilla. Add the .our mixture and whisk gently until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Cover the pot and heat on high until the water boils. Reduce to low and steam, covered, until the center of the cake is just firm to the touch, about 23 minutes.
Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Let stand until the cake pan is cool enough to handle. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, then run a paring knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Let cool completely.
Invert the cake directly onto the rack, lift o. the pan and remove and peel off the parchment. Re-invert onto a platter.
Excerpted from MILK STREET BAKES by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2024 by CPK Media, LLC. Photograph by Connie Miller of CB Creatives.
Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.