Focaccia Ingredients
4 Cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp white sugar
2 1/2 Cups warm water
Butter (for greasing the pan - optional - SEE NOTE)
4 Tbsp UP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (QB)
Flaky sea salt - Favuzzi Fleur de Sel
1-2 tsp fresh or dried rosemary leaves, chopped if using fresh
Sandwich Ingredients/Toppings
Divina Fig Spread - Sold online & in-store
Prosciutto, thinly sliced, 1/2 lbs
Bocconcini Cheese or Buffalo Mozzarella, sliced
Arugula, 2 handfuls
1 Tbsp Lemon Agrumato Olive Oil
1 Tbsp A-Premium White Balsamic Vinegar
Black Pepper, to your taste
Red onion, sliced thin - again, some people like more red onion, some prefer less.
Focaccia Instructions
Add flour to a large mixing bowl along with the salt, sugar, and yeast. Whisk together. Use a rubber spatula to mix the 2 cups of warm water in with the dry ingredients. If it is dry and clumpy, add the remaining 1/2 Cup of water. The dough should be quite wet and sticky.
Drizzle on 1 Tbsp of EVOO and rub it over the top of the dough. Cover the bowl with a lint-free, damp tea towel. Set in a warm, draft-free area to rise for 2 hours or until it's doubled in size. (In the oven with the oven light on works great!)
After the rise time, line a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or grease well with butter or olive oil. (Butter Infused Olive Oil - this oil is plant-based/dairy-free - adds great flavour!) Add 2 Tbsp EVOO to the baking pan.
Remove the tea towel from the dough bowl, and with a fork in each hand (or your fingers if you don't mind getting messy), deflate the dough by releasing it from either side - north and south, east and west, etc.) with the forks, bringing the edges into the middle of the dough ball until it forms a loose ball.
Place the dough into the greased baking pan and turn it over to coat both sides with olive oil. Cover with the damp tea towel again, setting it in a warm place for 30 minutes to an hour, or until doubled.
Once the rising is complete, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the towel from the baking dish. Sprinkle the top of the dough with both the sea salt and rosemary.
Pour an extra tbsp of EVOO on the top of the dough and coat your hands as well. Using all of your fingers, press straight down into the dough all over so it fills the bottom of the pan completely. The dough will still be wet and sticky at this point.
Place focaccia in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until it's fluffy with a deep golden crust. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan. Allow it to cool for another 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.
Cut into squares or rectangles, depending on how large or how many sandwiches you're making. Note: This is also excellent when having a bunch of people over, making slider-sized sandwiches. Take each piece, turn it onto its side, cutting down the middle to make your sandwich tops and bottoms.
Add arugula to a small mixing bowl, coat with the Lemon Olive Oil & A-Premium White Balsamic, and add black pepper.
Use the fig spread on the bottom half of the focaccia bread, then place 3 to 5 prosciutto slices on top. Add the slices of bocconcini or buffalo mozzarella, then top with red onion slices and dressed arugula, then place the focaccia top on and ENJOY!
