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| Roasted Tomato Focaccia with Chive Cream Cheese |
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| Focaccia dough as it is rising |
Roasted Tomato Focaccia with Chive Cream Cheese
Author: Brenna Bowers
Serving: Four 6" rounds
Ingredients:
1 fresh yeast cube or 1 packet dry instant yeast
(20-25g)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 1/3 cup warm water (300g)
4 Tablespoons olive oil (25 g), divided
3 ½ - 4 cups all purpose flour (500g)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 medium Roma tomatoes, cut in ¼” slices
4 ounces Chive Cream Cheese
Dash ground pepper
Directions:
Mix yeast, honey and warm
water in a small bowl and let activate about 10 minutes (you want to see
bubbles).
Place flour and 1
teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a whole in your flour and pour in
the wet mixture and add 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Mix little by little with a
fork to form a ball and then begin to knead when it is too hard to stir with a
fork. Knead for about 8-10 minutes adding flour only if sticking to your hands
or the countertop. Once well mixed, place in a bowl that has been sprayed with
oil and cover with a towel or loosely with saran wrap so that a crust does not
form. Let rise for at least double in size (this time period depends on how
warm your house is) (if it is cool, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place
in a less than 100 degree (F) oven) (best if you place the bowl covered with
plastic wrap in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours) and use the next day).
Preheat the oven to 500
degrees (F). Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and form each
piece into a circular 6 inch disk. Place the dough on the sheet trays. Drizzle
1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the top of each round and sprinkle with the
remaining salt and all of the crushed garlic. Cover lightly with saran wrap and
allow it to rise and get to room temperature until about 1 ½-2 inches thick.
Layer the slices of tomato (slightly overlapping) on
top of the focaccia and sprinkle with black pepper. Place in a 500°F oven and bake
for about 12-15 minutes or golden brown. Turn the oven to broil. Place small
pieces of Chive Cream Cheese on top of the tomatoes and place under the broiler
for 2 minutes (or until the cheese browns).
Serve hot or cold.
