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Olive and Rosemary Foccacias
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 envelopes dry yeast (1/2 oz.)
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 - 3 1/2 cups white flour
6 Tbs. olive oil
2 - 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup slivered Kalamata olives
cornmeal for the pans
coarse salt, optional
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the sugar and leave it for 10 to 15 min., until it starts to foam. Stir in the salt, a bit of the flour, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, the rosemary and the olives. Then start adding in the remaining flour, one scoop at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir with a spoon.
Turn the dough out on a well-floured board, sprinkle more flour on top of it, and knead it gently for 7 to 8 min., working in as much more flour as you need to keep it from sticking. When the dough is smooth and elastic, form
it into a ball and put it into a large, oiled bowl, turning it once to coat it. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave it in warm place to rise for 45 min. to 1 hour, until it has approximately doubled in volume.
Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Form each half into a smooth ball, then roll out the ball into an oval about 12 x 15" and transfer it to a baking sheet that you have sprinkled with cornmeal.
You can leave your foccacias, plain, you can dimple them with your fingertips, or cut shallow crisscross slashes in the tops with a sharp knife. If your baking sheets are large, you can make several short crosswise cuts right through the loaves and then gently pull them apart to make slight gaps where you have cut. Brush the loaves lightly with the remaining olive oil and, if you like, sprinkle them with coarse salt. Cover them with kitchen towels, and let rise again for about twenty minutes, until they begin to look puffed and soft.
Bake the foccacias at 425° F for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are golden on top and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Serve them warm if you can - they are fabulous when they're fresh out of the oven. They can be cut in squares to serve, but I like to lay a whole foccacia directly on the tablecloth and let everyone tear pieces off.
Yield: 2 loaves.
“Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them.”
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Goldwasser or Danzig Goldwasser. This is a liqueur flavored with orange zest, herbs and spices. It also contains flecks of real gold leaf. It has been claimed by some to be the oldest cordial made.
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