Olive Potato Focaccia With Asparagus Menorah Recipes

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/2 cups flour with 1 cup room-temperature water and 1/4 teaspoon yeast in a medium bowl. Stir to make a shaggy dough, making sure there are no dry pockets of flour or yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until there are large air bubbles on the surface and the dough has risen, about 4 hours.
• Combine 3/4 cup warm water with 3 tablespoons olive oil and the honey in a liquid measuring cup; stir to dissolve the honey. Combine the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons yeast and the kosher salt in a large bowl; stir to combine and make a well in the center. Pour the honey mixture into the well. Add the risen dough mixture and stir until combined. It will be very stretchy, but continue stirring until a shaggy dough forms, making sure there are no dry pockets of flour or yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until more than doubled in size and there are air bubbles on the surface, 1 to 2 hours.
• Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, then pour 3 tablespoons olive oil in the middle. Oil your hands, then run your hands down the inside of the bowl and remove the dough (it will deflate). Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and turn to coat in the oil. Shape the dough into a 12-inch-long oval, gently tucking the edges under if the dough spreads too much. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size and there are air bubbles on the surface, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Uncover the dough, then press with your fingertips to create dimples in the surface. Top with vegetables and herbs in a garden pattern.
• Drizzle the dough and vegetables with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and gently rub it into the vegetables, pressing them into the dough. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the bottom of the focaccia has browned, the top is golden and the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes on the baking sheet.

Steps:

• For the focaccia: Peel and dice the potato into 1-inch pieces. Place in a medium stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potato pieces can be easily pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the water. Let the water cool until it is warm to the touch (about 100 degrees F), about 10 minutes.
• Mash the potatoes and measure 1 packed cup. You will probably have extra potatoes; I suggest adding some salt, butter and a dash of cream and eating them!
• In a large heatproof mixing bowl, add the flour, reserved water, yeast and potatoes and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and the salt and mix to combine.
• Knead the dough on a clean surface while adding more flour (up to 1 1/2 cups) until your dough is soft and slightly tacky, 5 to 7 minutes. Add in the olives towards the end of kneading.
• Drizzle a layer of oil in a large bowl and coat the dough in the oil on both sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• When the dough has doubled in size, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to a 12-inch round cast-iron skillet or a similar-sized heavy-bottomed pan to coat the pan. Spread the dough into the skillet so it covers the bottom. If it's bouncing back a lot, let the dough rest a few minutes and try again.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place, about 1 hour. Alternatively, you can let it rise in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you refrigerate it, it won't rise as much. Bring it to room temperature before the next step.
• Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Use your fingers to make dimples in the dough and drizzle with more oil.
• For the menorah: Remove the outer darkest layer of the onion and cut into 3 thin pieces that are 1 1/2 inches long to make up the menorah stand. Dice the rest of the onion layer into 1-centimeter pieces to make a decorative border around the edge of the dough.
• Cut off one side of the red pepper, avoiding the seeds. Trim a 2-inch curved piece to be the very bottom of the menorah stand. Then trim 3 thin flatter pieces that are 1 1/2 inches long to make up the menorah stand. Dice the remaining piece of red pepper into nine 1/2-centimeter pieces to make the candle wicks that will be placed between the asparagus candles and the tomato flames.
• Trim each piece of asparagus to fit the middle of the skillet, making sure 1 piece for the shamash (lighter candle) is slightly longer and the other 8 pieces are of equal length. Place the longer shamash piece on top of the dough in the center, then arrange the other 8 asparagus pieces in a row, spacing them out evenly on each side of the shamash. The shamash should be a little taller and the other asparagus pieces should be the same height.
• Add the 9 diced red pepper pieces on top of the asparagus pieces to make the candle wicks. For the flames, slice the grape tomatoes in half lengthwise, remove all the seeds and place one of them cut-side down above each red pepper piece to make a flame (you'll have 1 grape tomato half left over).
• For the base of the menorah, place a single row of olives below the asparagus, then alternate between the thin slices of red pepper and onion in the center to make the menorah stand. Place the 2-inch curved red pepper piece at the bottom of the stand, curving downward. Finally, make a decorative border by alternating between the remaining olives and diced onion around the edge of the dough.
• Brush everything with oil and bake until very golden brown, about 30 minutes. When done, brush with even more oil and sprinkle with salt. Eat! Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and heat before serving.

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest in a warm place for 25 minutes.
• Mix in the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour, until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough adheres to the hook. It should remain soft and slightly sticky. Continue mixing for about 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Remove from the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and put into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour, to let the dough rise until doubled.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook slowly until very crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve the pancetta and fat separately.
• Put the potatoes in cold salted water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook about 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and place in a bowl.
• Pour the pancetta fat over the warm potatoes, add the crisped pancetta, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon zest. Toss well and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a baking sheet.
• Lightly flour the dough and punch it down. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 10 inches. Brush off any excess flour and transfer to the oiled baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the potato mixture onto the dough and press it in with the flat of your hand. Press your fingers into the dough to make evenly spaced indentations all over the surface, being careful not to puncture or tear the dough. Scatter the remaining rosemary over the dough.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and the bread is crisp on the bottom. Let cool in the pan to room temperature. Cut into squares, "fingers," or triangles to serve.

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large bowl with the yeast and 2 tsp salt, and mix together. Add 2 tbsp of the olive oil, then slowly pour in 350ml lukewarm water, continuing to mix until you have a slightly sticky dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until the dough is soft and less sticky, then put in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Generously oil a shallow rectangular baking tin (ours was 20 x 30cm). Tip in the dough, then use your hands to stretch it out until it reaches the corners of the tin. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for a further 35-45 mins. Meanwhile, tip the tomatoes into a bowl, season, add the oregano and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss together and set aside.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Press the tomato halves evenly into the into the dough, then do the same with the olives. Crumble over the feta, then lightly press everything down again using your fingertips. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and scatter with sea salt, then bake for 25-30 mins until deep golden and puffed up. While the bread is still hot, drizzle over the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then slice. You can wrap it in the tin to take on a picnic, or wrap individual squares. Will keep wrapped, or in an airtight container, for up to two days.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large baking dish, toss the red potatoes with 1/2 the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and 1/2 the kosher salt. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix in the asparagus, remaining olive oil, and remaining salt. Cover, and continue cooking 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Remove foil, and continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes, until potatoes are lightly browned. Season with pepper to serve.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, olives and parsley., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 50 minutes., Punch dough down. Shape into a 9-in. circle on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 25 minutes. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough. Brush with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cheeses., Bake at 400° until golden brown, 14-18 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.

Steps:

• Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the oil and water, then mix well. If the dough seems a little stiff, add 1-2 tbsp water, mix again, then put on a lightly floured work surface and knead well. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Remove from the bowl, knock back the dough, then spread out with your hands onto a large, oiled baking tray 20cm x 30cm. Brush with olive oil and make deep indentations with your fingers. Layer the potatoes and rosemary leaves over the top and drizzle with a little more oil. Leave to prove for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Sprinkle the dough with a little rock salt, if you like. Bake the bread for 30 mins until it is golden, the potatoes are tender and it sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Drizzle the loaf with more olive oil, if you like and, when cooled, serve on the tray.