Chinese Sausage Focaccia Recipes

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook on low speed, stir in the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, mixing until the flour is completely moistened. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Add the salt and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. (The dough will tighten up, then begin to relax. After 5 minutes it will be very wet and stick to the bottom of the mixer but not the sides.)
• Rub 2 tablespoons olive oil around the bottom and sides of a large mixing bowl (big enough to hold at least double the volume of the dough). Using a scraper or spatula, transfer the dough to the bowl, flipping once to coat completely with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Pour the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into the bottom of an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Use your hands to evenly distribute the oil along the bottom and up the sides. Scrape the dough into the baking sheet, flattening it slightly with your hands. Flip the dough once and gently stretch it to fit into an even layer in the baking sheet. (The dough may not stretch to the edges at this point. If it starts to pull back, let rest 10 minutes and re-stretch, making sure to pull from the center as well as the edges to get an even thickness.) Use your fingertips to make dimples over the surface of the focaccia, pressing firmly but not so hard you make holes in the dough.
• For the brine and finish: Dissolve the kosher salt in 1/3 cup warm water. Drizzle over the surface of the focaccia, letting it pool in the dimples. Cover loosely with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to relax and rise again.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, until the focaccia is deep golden brown on the top and bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Drizzle with the olive oil and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the focaccia to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, cut each Chinese sausage link lengthwise in half. Then slice each half into 12 half-moons. Cut the garlic cloves into thin slices on a bias-the thinner you can get them, the better.
• Combine the oil, toban djan, sausage, and garlic in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes; the oil will turn a deep red color, the Chinese sausage will darken, and the garlic will become translucent. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, saving it for later. Set the sausage aside.
• Punch down and flatten the dough on a smooth, dry countertop. Stretch the dough out gently by hand until it is slightly longer and wider than a quarter sheet pan.
• Visualize dividing your dough lengthwise in thirds. Spread half of the sausage and garlic down the center third of the dough. Fold the right third of dough over it. Cover that layer with the remaining sausage-garlic filling, then fold the left third of dough over.
• Gently lift the dough at both ends and transfer to the baking pan. Cover loosely with plastic and allow it to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 375°F.
• Once the dough has doubled in size and has filled every bit of the baking pan, use your fingers to gently dimple the top of the dough to make small indentations. Pour the spicy garlic oil around, not on top of, the dough.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown.
• Let the focaccia cool to room temperature in the pan before serving. If you attempt to cut into it while it is still hot or warm, it will seem gummy and underbaked.
• Slice the focaccia into 6 pieces and serve at room temperature, or toast by flashing in a warm oven. The focaccia will remain delicious, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 3 days.
• Feel free to substitute a mixture of shiro miso and a squirt or two of your favorite hot sauce for the toban djan (a Sichuan chile bean sauce). If both Chinese sausage and toban djan freak you out, you can substitute your favorite pepperoni and fresh or dried Italian seasonings in their place.