Focaccia is a bread like pizza. My Pancetta Focaccia stems from the Cucina povera and uses the finest quality meats from Johnny Prosciutto. The ingredients are simple and the focaccia dough rises overnight. This makes a whole meal and served with a salad, some cheese and olives, brings me back to little Italy and my grand parents.
Focaccia
Every region of Italy has its own focaccia. Both my grandparents from Calabria and Sicily made it when making bread. They used whatever the land provided. My Calabrese nonna often used salami or pancetta to dress it a bit. Some herbs and olive oil finished the beautiful bread.
For a quick pizza try my warm milk pizza dough https://recipesatmytable.com/warm-milk-pizza-dough/
Ingredients
*3 cups flour
*1 tsp each of sugar and salt
* 2 tsp fast rising yeast
*1 1/2 cups warm water
Toppings
2 slices of the finest pancetta cubed
2 cloves garlic slices
Sprigs of thyme
Salt
2 tbs olive oil
Process
Assemble all your dry ingredients in a large bowl for the dough and whisk. Pour in your warm water mixed with the olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together and cover it with plastic wrap. Now cover this with a tea towel or table cloth and leave in a warm spot in your kitchen overnight.
Remove the plastic film off the dough in the morning and place the dough into a 9 x 13 pan. I used 1 tbsp of olive oil at the bottom of the pan. Also, use a scraper or a spatula to remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, push the dough towards the edges of the pan. Don’t force it. You don’t want to deflate the bubbles. Gently it will get there. Now cover the dough again with the plastic wrap and tea towel and let it rise another hour.
Take a small bowl and fill it with water and now dip your fingers in the water and press them into the dough. Again, be very gentle. Cover the dough for another half hour and now you should see these little air bubbles on your dough. Look at those natural air bubbles.
In a small pan place the olive oil, pancetta, sliced garlic and thyme on medium low. Do not stir, just swirl. Leave to cook for about 5 minutes.
Now the pancetta is ready to meet the focaccia. Gently spoon over the focaccia. Bake at 450 F for about 20 minutes.
If done properly, you should see beautiful air bubbles when you cut into this. Out of the oven and onto the board. So Many possibilities.
You can’t just have one piece and it looks like bread.
Pancetta Focaccia
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp each of sugar and salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
Toppings
- 2 slices of the finest pancetta cubed
- 2 cloves garlic slices
- Sprigs of thyme
- Salt
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions
-
Assemble all your dry ingredients in a large bowl for the dough and whisk. Pour in your warm water mixed with the olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together and cover it with plastic wrap. Now cover this with a tea towel or table cloth and leave in a warm spot in your kitchen overnight.
-
Remove the plastic film off the dough in the morning and place the dough into a 9 x 13 pan. I used 1 tbsp of olive oil at the bottom of the pan. Also, use a scraper or a spatula to remove the dough from the bowl.
-
Using your hands, push the dough towards the edges of the pan. Don’t force it. You don’t want to deflate the bubbles. Gently it will get there. Now cover the dough again with the plastic wrap and tea towel and let it rise another hour.
-
Take a small bowl and fill it with water and now dip your fingers in the water and press them into the dough. Again, be very gentle. Cover the dough for another half hour and now you should see these little air bubbles on your dough.
-
In a small pan place the olive oil, pancetta, sliced garlic and thyme on medium low. Do not stir, just swirl. Leave to cook for about 5 minutes.
-
Now the pancetta is ready to meet the focaccia. Gently spoon over the focaccia. Bake at 450 F for about 20 minutes.
Published by