Rosemary Focaccia

Rosemary Focaccia

Ingredients:
Biga
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast

Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Directions:
For the Biga:  
Combine the flour, water, and yeast in large bowl and stir with wooden spoon until uniform mass forms and no dry flour remains, about 1 minute.  Cover bowl slightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees) overnight (at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours).  Use immediately or store in refrigerator up to 3 days.  (Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.)

For the Dough:
Stir the water and yeast into the biga with a wooden spoon until uniform mass forms and no dry flour remains, about 1 minute.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt over dough, stir into dough until thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.  Spray a rubber spatula or bowl scraper with nonstick cooking spray, fold partially risen dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough to the middle.  Turn bowl 90 degrees, fold again.  Turn bowl and fold 6 more time (total of 8 times) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.  Repeat folding, turning, and rising 2 more time for a total of 3 thirty minute rises.  Meanwhile adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place baking stone on rack and heat oven to 500 degrees at least 30 minutes before baking.

Gently transfer dough to as lightly floured counter.  Lightly dust tops of dough with flour and divide in half.  Shape each piece of dough into 5-inch round by gently tucking under the edges.Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each.  sprinkle each pan with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.  Place round of dough in pan topside down, slide dough around to coat bottom and sides, then flip over.  Repeat with second piece of dough.  Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.

Using the finger tips, press dough out toward edges of pan.  (If dough resists stretching, let it relax for five or ten minutes before trying again.)  Using dinner forks, poke surface of dough 25 or 30 times, popping any large bubbles.   Sprinkle rosemary evenly over top of dough.  Let dough rest until slightly bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Place pans on baking stone and reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake until tops are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, switching placement  of pans halfway through baking.  Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes.  Remove loves and return to wire rack.  Brush tops with any oil remaining in pan.  Let cool 30 minutes before serving.

Focaccia With Kalmata Olives and Anchovies:
Follow recipe for Rosemary Focaccia, omitting the salt from the pans in step 4.  Substitute 1/2 cup coarsely chopped, pitted klamath olives, 4 minced anchovy fillets, and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for rosemary.  Sprinkle each focaccia with 1/4 cup finely grated Peccorino Romano as soon as it is removed from the oven.