Focaccia with Apricot Preserves, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese

I recently picked up a new cookbook (the first in over a year I'll have you know) called "Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry". Technically it's a year-round preserving book, but with lots of little bonus recipes that pertain to preserved goods are included. It's a beautiful book with many unique recipes for typical preserving, but covers many other preservation techniques and I am enjoying the sections on meat preservation!

I was looking to use up last year's apricot preserves before adding additional to the "larder" and this recipe looked fabulous! I only made a few minor changes to suit what I had on hand. I hope you enjoy!

FOCACCIA WITH APRICOT PRESERVES, CARAMELIZED ONION AND GOAT CHEESE

Dough;
1 cup hot water (hot from the tap is fine, no need to heat)
1 Tablespoon instant yeast (or 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast proofed in water)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

I throw the whole thing in my kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook attached and allow to mix for about 5 minutes until a smooth dough has climbed the hook. Let rise about 20 minutes until nearly doubled. Punch down and place into a olive oil greased 9X13 pan, using your finger tips to make little depressions.

Toppings;
1 cup Apricot Preserves
1 large vidalia onion that you have caramelized
4 ounces goat cheese of choice; (I used Naked Goat which is aged, dry and firm. It was not the best baker, next time I will use ether fresh or a lovely Goat Gouda that we sell at The Boulevard Market)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Spread apricot preserves on dough first, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Add onions evenly across dough and sprinkle on goat cheese. Drizzle entire thing with olive oil. Add toppings and let rise again about 10 minutes. (These rise times are for instant yeast, if you use dry active, you will need to increase rise times)
Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. The shorter bake time will be a softer crust. For a crispier crust, you may consider using a bit larger flat baking sheet and rolling dough a bit thinner.

Roasted Grape Focaccia

A while back I shared my love of homemade focaccia bread here.
 
That love has never wavered and in fact, only grown stronger once I began to add grapes to to the unbaked dough. Grapes are being harvested in Michigan right now, and I can't think of a more perfect time to make this bread!

I know the idea of cooking fresh grapes seems odd and that the grapes would just deflate into unappetizing skins.  Au contraire!

The grapes roast up into a sweet, caramelized bite that pairs up perfectly with savory components!  I also talked about roasting grapes on their own here if you're interested in a quick little dessert.

You only need an hour to create this fabulous-ness, or less if you are using instant yeast!

This week I created my focaccia using red onions, grapes, romano and fresh rosemary!  It was absolutely stunning to look at and delicious!  This combination of ingredients was also amazing after supper with a small glass of Vin Santo instead of dessert!  

ROASTED GRAPE FOCACCIA

1 Tablespoon Instant Yeast
1 ¼ cups hot water (115 degrees)
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided


1 cup fresh grapes, washed
4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary, tips of branches
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
1/3 cup Red Onion, very thinly sliced

In your mixing bowl, blend water, yeast, 1 Tablespoon of EVOO and sugar. Add all of the flour and salt. Using the dough hook, blend at low speed until dough forms ball on hook. Continue kneading additional 3-4 minutes until dough looks shiny and all flour has been incorporated.

Coat dough with 2 Tablespoons EVOO and let double in size (about 15 minutes), punch down. Liberally oil (with EVOO) a 12-13” round pan and press half of the dough into bottom.

 Make depressions with your fingertips. Let rise until dough has doubled (15-30 minutes) and add toppings, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt.

Bake 450 degrees for 25-35 (whole batch of dough or 18 minutes for a half batch of dough) minutes until golden brown and dough has cooked through.

Memories of Focaccia

Life is crazy again and yet I yearn to do a little something special for supper! Focaccia bread is just the thing! We had homemade focaccia bread in Matera, Italy and this recipe takes me back to that mountainous, misty area with goats running across the twisty roads, ancient olive trees and fresh goat yogurt from a bucket. We were welcomed to the home of olive oil and cheese producers in a movie setting! (The Passion of the Christ was filmed in Matera) It was one of the most memorable and beautiful places I've seen to date! We ate focaccia bread with different toppings, wine, goat yogurt with chestnut honey and a lovely lemon tart.

The smell of bread baking is so instinctively comforting and hunger inducing! I've never experienced an angry person in my kitchen while bread is baking! (This includes teenagers, small children and animals!) I use a 10 inch stoneware dish for this bread, so I prefer to split the dough in half for a bit thinner bread, or you can use a larger jelly roll pan for the whole batch!

I have also changed the yeast in this recipe for INSTANT yeast. This really cuts down the time required to make bread, but does leave a more yeasty flavor behind. Feel free to use dry active yeast and proof accordingly. This dough also keeps well in the fridge for fresh focaccia in about 45 minutes!

FOCACCIA BREAD- YOUR WAY

1 Tablespoon Instant Yeast
1 ¼ cups hot water (115 degrees)
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided


In your mixing bowl, blend water, yeast, 1 Tablespoon of EVOO and sugar. Add all of the flour and salt. Using the dough hook, blend at low speed until dough forms ball on hook. Continue kneading additional 3-4 minutes until dough looks shiny and all flour has been incorporated.

Coat dough with 2 Tablespoons EVOO and let double in size (about 15 minutes), punch down. Liberally oil (with EVOO) a 12-13” round pan and press half of the dough into bottom. Make depressions with your fingertips. Let rise until dough has doubled (15-30 minutes) and add toppings, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt.

Bake 450 degrees for 25-35 (whole batch of dough or 18 minutes for a half batch of dough) minutes until golden brown and dough has cooked through.

Herbs, cheeses, tomatoes, anchovies, roasted peppers, salami, spinach. The sky is the limit on toppings!

Our favorite is: add 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon fresh Rosemary and 1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano to dough. Top with 3 Tablespoons each: grated Romano and Fontina and a few more sprigs of Rosemary.