Southwest Focaccia - National Festival of Breads

 

Jane explaining her entry at the awards dinner

  There are many great things about helping with the National Festival of Breads including learning new techniques, trying new flavors, and meeting talented bakers. One of the bakers is almost my neighbor. Jane Fry of Elk Falls, Kansas only lives in the next county from us and it was especially fun to see her entry as a finalist.
     Jane's recipe is Southwest Focaccia. Focaccia is traditionally a flat oven-baked Italian bread similar in style and texture to pizza doughs. It can be topped with herbs or other ingredients. Jane put a southwest twist into this dough with corn and pickled jalapeño slices. I made this on a day we were also doing 26 jars of jams and jellies, proving that it is an easy and quick bread to make.
 

My family loved this recipe! 

SOUTHWEST FOCACCIA

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (110°-115°F)

1 (¼ oz) package Red Star Active Dry Yeast

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 cup frozen (thawed) corn kernels

1 cup diced yellow onion

½ cup drained pickled jalapeño slices, coarsely chopped

¾ cup King Arthur organic yellow cornmeal

1-3 teaspoons chili powder, to taste

2 teaspoons salt

4 ½ - 5 cups King Arthur unbleached bread flour

6 tablespoons salted butter, melted, divided

Pinch of chili sea salt or coarse sea salt, optional

Directions:

1.     In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine water, yeast, and sugar until dissolved. Wait 5-10 minutes for mixture to foam (proof).

2.     Stir in corn, onion, jalapeno, cornmeal, chili powder, salt, and 3½ cups flour. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Knead 10 minutes with dough hook.

3.     Line a 12”x18” half sheet pan with parchment. Generously butter the parchment.

4.     Using wet fingertips, gently stretch and press the dough from the center to the outer edge to fit the pan. Brush the top with half of the melted butter. Using your fingertips, press deep dimples at 1-inch intervals all over the dough.

5.     Cover with greased plastic wrap, let the dough rise until light. About 45 minutes. Near the end of the rise, preheat oven to 400°F.

6.     When ready to bake, gently dimple the dough again. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over dough’s surface. If desired, sprinkle with salt.

7.     Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the focaccia from the baking sheet by lifting the parchment onto a rack. Remove parchment and turn it out onto rack. Slice into approximately 1½” x 3” pieces. Serve warm. Store focaccia in the refrigerator or freeze.

Yield: about 48 servings.

Doesn't this product Jane made at the contest look delicious?