Focaccia with Green Onions

Print
Focaccia with Young Green Onions

Unraveling the mystery of focaccia, otherwise known as fogassa, or in France foisse or fouiasse, is simple, once you have a good "biga" or starter. My focaccia begins with a ”biga” a day ahead. This biga recipe is enough for at least 5 recipes (refrigerate and use within a week), or if you refresh the "biga" by adding a little flour and water to keep its yeasts active, it ferments and then you have a sourdough starter.  I use the same "biga" for sourdough bread. My starter or "biga" is several years old. You can make focaccia without a starter or biga, but we prefer it to using fresh yeast with each batch. 

Course: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Barbara
Ingredients
Biga
  • 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 1 3/8 cup room temperature water
  • 3 3/4 cups unbleached organic all purpose flour
Focaccia Dough
  • ¾ tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 7 tbsp biga
  • 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 3/4 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Topping
  • 1 bunch green onions, cut into lengths and spliced
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • coarse salt
Instructions

  1. For Biga. Put the ¼ cup of warm water into a large mixing bowl, whisk and let stand until creamy. Pour in remaining water and the flour. Beat with paddle attachment for a few minutes or with a wooden spoon for about 100 strokes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with seran wrap and let it rise for 6-24 hours. The starter will triple in volume, collapse and be bubbly, wet and sticky. About 4 hours before you’re ready to serve the Focaccia, begin to prepare the focaccia dough.

  2. For Focaccia. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm water and yeast. Let it stand until it’s creamy. Put the 7 tablespoons of biga into the yeast water, chopping it or breaking it up with your fingers so that the water and biga are well combined. Stir in the olive oil. Using the paddle attachment, add the flour and salt in two parts, pulsing the beater until the dough is well mixed. Change to the dough hook and knead the dough for 4-5 minutes until the dough appears velvety and the sides of the bowl are clean.

  3. If mixing by hand, use a wooden spoon and mix until well combined. Then knead on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky.

  4. Generously oil a large bowl and place the round ball of dough into it, rotating the ball so that it is covered with oil. Cover with seran wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

  5. Oil a large 11' x 17” baking sheet. Moistening your hands, spread the ball of dough onto the pan, pressing it to fit to the edges of the pan. Cover with towels and let rise until doubled for about 2 hours.

  6. About 30 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees (if you have a baking stone, place that inside). Dimple the dough with vigor, pressing your fingers firmly to the base of the pan. Drizzle it with some of the olive oil. Let rise for 30 minutes.
  7. While the focaccia is rising, sauté the green onion in a drizzle of olive oil until softened.
  8. When the focaccia has risen, top with the green onion and a sprinkle of coarse salt and drizzle a little more olive oil especially into the dimples. Put the pan on the baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Spray the oven walls and floors every few minutes for the first 15 minutes. Focaccia should be done in 20 minutes, with a nicely browned top and a firmly crisp bottom. Best served immediately.
  9. Put the pan on the baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Spray the oven walls and floors every few minutes for the first 15 minutes. Focaccia should be done in 20 minutes, with a nicely browned top and a firmly crisp bottom. Best served immediately.