Nibbles + Bites

DINE+WINE | in the kitchen Heavenly Bread

Photo By Lisa Crates

Focaccia Barese

Focaccia bread is enjoyed throughout Italy and the world. The best bread in the world is said to be from Altamura in the Metropolitan City of Bari. Focaccia Barese, specific to this region, adds a potato to the dough, which gives it a special body and texture. Also, I can’t think of a better food to highlight quality extra virgin olive oil. It perfectly soaks it in and transports it to your taste buds, while transporting your mind to Puglia!

Ingredients: 1 ½ cups of room temp water 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 2 cups semolina flour ½ teaspoons sugar (or honey) 2 teaspoons active yeast 1 potato Cherry tomatoes ½ cup olives (black or green, preferably pitted) Oregano and rosemary Sea salt (coarse or flakes) Fine grain salt Extra virgin olive oil (the best you can find!)

1. Peel, boil, and mash your potato. 2. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in half of the water, followed by the sugar to activate the yeast. 3. Add the mashed potato (now cooled), 4-5 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, fine grain salt and the rest of the water. Mix well. 4. Add all of the flour. Mix and knead until smooth and elastic. You can use your hands or a mixer. 5. Coat two bowls with olive oil. Divide the dough in half. Shape the dough into balls, place them into each bowl, cover them with a towel and let them rise for two to three hours. 6. Coat two pans (preferably cast iron, to get that nice, crisp shell) with lots of olive oil (more of a pool than a coating). Stretch each dough ball out to cover the pan. Cover the pans with the towels, and let rise for another 30 minutes. 7. Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees F. 8. Brush the dough with another layer of olive oil. 9. Sprinkle on your coarse/flake salt, oregano and/or rosemary. 10. Press the tomatoes into the dough. I usually half them into the dough. This lets the juice flow into the dough. Spread your olives into the dough too. Make your own pattern. 11. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Depending on the oven, it could take shorter or longer. I like patches of hard brown crust to form on the outside. Sometimes I get a few blackened areas, especially if you are in a traditional wood-fired oven. The cast iron pan, and globs of olive oil help with this. 12. Drizzle more olive oil and enjoy!

Recipe by AJ Vezendy of Mariella & Grace