Focaccia Caprese-Focaccia Bread topped with Tomato,Mozarella&Basil~We Knead to Bake#13

I love a good Focaccia.With a crisp crust and the deep flavours of olive oil and garlic in every bite.I have tried a few recipes for Focaccia myself and loved it.Moreover Focaccia recipes are pretty forgiving,there are no hassles involved and you can personalize the toppings according to your taste.

Focaccia is a type of flatbread from Italy,thought to have originated in ancient Greece but now associated with the north eastern part of Italy. Today however, it is a flatbread that is found all over Italy and baked in a variety of ways.The name Focaccia originates from the ancient Roman "Panis Focacius" which was originally a flatbread that was baked on the hearth.

Focaccia Caprese is a basic focaccia dough topped Caprese style."Caprese" refers to something that comes from or is in the style of Capri, an island off the Italian coast near Naples. Capri is famous mostly for its villas, grottos and jutting limestone towers, and also for the salad named after it – “Insalata Caprese” whose signature is fresh tomatoes, basil and fresh buffalo mozzarella (Mozzarella di Buffala).This means that the topping of the Focaccia Caprese is sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, in addition to the usual olive oil and herbs that are typically used in this flatbread.

I halved the recipe and added some wheat flour/atta to the dough.The bread was still very soft and chewy,with a deep flavor from the herb oil.My basil plant is still in growing stages,so I had to make do with dried basil.I didn't add too many tomato slices as that's how we prefer and the cheese melted so much that the slices started to slide down the bread:)

It's been a joyous one year since my first WKtB post,time sure flies.Though I have skipped a couple of breads in the group,the ones which I tried were spectacular,my favorite has to be the Hokkaido bread,the softest and best bread I've baked so far(aside from 'the' cinnamon rolls!)This year,we have some new entrants to the group and I am so happy to continue my bread baking journey.

Focaccia Caprese - Focaccia Bread topped with Tomato,Mozarella & Basil
Recipe source - The Kitchen Whisperer;Adapted from Aparna

Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 tsp instant yeast

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

3 1/2 cups bread flour*

1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil (preferably olive oil)
1 to 1 1/2 cups warm water

A little more olive oil for brushing dough

For the Topping:

4-5 larg-ish tomatoes, sliced thin
1 6-7” round piece of fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into1/4” slices**
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

For the Herbed Oil:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp finely minced garlic/ paste
Salt to taste 

Fresh basil leaves for garnishing 

Note:

* If you cannot find bread flour, you can add 1 tbsp of Vital Wheat Gluten to 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and mix together well. Otherwise just use 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.

**I don’t get fresh buffalo mozzarella where I live. So used Amul Mozarella cheese instead and it worked out fine.

Method:

First make the herbed oil
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. Keep aside till required.

Then make the dough.
The dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand or machine. Put the yeast, sugar flour, salt and oil in the bowl of the processor and pulse a couple of times to mix well. Then add 1 cup of warm water (and as much more as you need) and knead until you have a soft elastic dough that is just short of sticky.

Remove the dough from the processor bowl, shape into a round and place in a well oiled bowl turning the dough around so it is coated. Cover and let it rise till almost double in volume. This should take about an hour.

You can make this as 2 medium sized Focaccia or 4 smaller ones. For the rectangular Focaccia, take two rectangular pans/ jelly or Swiss roll pans (I used an 11" by 7" tin) and oil them well. Then divide the dough into two equal portions and lightly roll them (or press out) out into approximately 11” by 7”. If making 4 Focaccia, then divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion out (or press out) evenly into approximately 5” by 7”. It alright if it’s an odd shape because Focaccia is really a “rustic” bread.

Transfer the dough to the baking tins. The dough will shrink a little. Use your fingers and push it out a bit making sure it’s evenly thick throughout. Let it rise for 20 minutes. Lightly oil your finger tips and press into the dough creating evenly spaced “dimples” in it. Generously brush the surface with oil

Bake at 210C (410F) for about 18 to 20 minutes till it is almost done and is beginning to turn golden brown. Take the Focaccia out and turn up the heat of your oven to 230C (450F).

Lightly drizzle some of the Herbed Oil over the Focaccia and then evenly arrange some slices of mozzarella over the bread, leaving very little space between them. Arrange the tomato slices over this and a little sprinkle the chopped basil over this. The topping should cover most of the surface of the bread.

Drizzle some more Herbed Oil over the topping and return the bread to the oven. Bake the Focaccia for 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese has just melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Yeastspotted
Cut the Focaccia into slices and serve while it is still hot. This recipe should serve 4 if served alone or 6 if served with a side.