Foccacia by any Other Name

Boo likes flatbread pizza, so today she challenged me to come up with a recipe for flatbread. Here are three, the third, naturally, being the most work and the best flatbread. Did you know foccacia is Italian for "flatbread"? I didn't.

All three require "proofing" your yeast in warm water.  Not too warm, or it will kill your yeast and then it really will be "flat" bread.  Slightly warmer than room temperature should be fine.



Flatbread Pizza Dough



3/4 cup warm water, sprinkle with a packet of dry active yeast and wait for it to foam. Add 2 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp salt (You know what a "tsp" is, don'cha, we've been over this before), 1/8 tsp pepper  . Knead until it's smooth and snaps back when you stretch it. (Cover with plastic while you get your toppings chopped and ready.) Cut into three parts for three different pizzas.


Roll one out into a broad oval with shoulders (okay, like a rectangle, but not) and put whatever you want on it. Some ideas include grilled chicken, tomatoes, basil, light sprinkle of shredded asiago and mozzarella, chevre crumbles, and toasted pine nuts. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, until the edges are good and brown. If you cover the crust completely with cheese, it will not bake properly.  If you just have to have that much cheese, half bake it with no toppings ande then interrupt the bake to add the cheese and toppings.

Then check in with your cardiologist for a stress test.  This is actually a pretty good no frills recipe.


or,


Flatbread Pizza dough (for those with a mixer and dough hook)


3 cups unbleached flour, plus more for dusting a work surface


2 tsps fine sea salt


1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast


3 tblspns olive oil


1. Process the flour and 2 tsps salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook until thoroughly mixed, or about one minute.


2. Put the yeast in another bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup warm water, then 2 tblspns of the oil. Let it rest until it foams, about 10 minutes, then pour this mixture into the center of the flour. Mix the flour and yeast solution until its mixed thoroughly. Add 3/4 cup warm water to the flour and mix again until the dough pulls together in a single, inseparable glob.


3. Dump the glob out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead the dough by working it with the heel of your hand. Push outward and pull the inside edge over the top. Repeat the process over and over to create a smooth ball of dough free of stickiness. This should take 6 to 8 minutes.


4. Brush a clean, stainless-steel bowl with the remaining tablespoon oil and put the ball of dough in the bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and proof at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.


5. When the dough has risen, divide it in half, or thirds for thinner pizzas, and shape the pieces into balls that will later be patted into the traditional pizza shape. These dough balls can be individually wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 2 months.

or,


More Work, Better Dough


 2 tblspns yeast
3 cups warm water
2 tblspns light corn syrup
7 tblspns olive oil
8-10 cups unbleached flour
1.5 tblspns salt
1 tblspn minced garlic
1 tblspn rosemary
2 tspns oregano
1/2 tspns ground black pepper


Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in large bowl till it foams, about 5-8 minutes, add the rest of the water, 6 tblspns olive oil and all the corn syrup.


Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, then add salt, garlic and rosemary. Add more flour (a cup at a time would be wise) and mix this until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Flour your work surface. knead the dough 5-10 minutes till its non-sticky. Add a little (I said a little!) flour to make the sticky go away if you need to. Grease another bowl, roll the dough in a ball in this bowl until the outside of the dough ball is coated with oil. Cover and proof (let it rise) for 2 hours in a warm place. Punch it down, knead it for four minutes, then cover and proof it again for 1 hour. Punch it down and spread it into a 12 X17 pan. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with the oregano and black pepper. Cover with your favorite toppings, or if you simply cannot think of anything to put on this see the recipe above.


bake 30-35 minutes.