Switch up your pizza night with this soft herbed focaccia with garlic oil, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and black olives. It’s a simple dough to make; you just need to toss it together about 2 hours before you want to eat it. It’s a satisfying meal with a salad or a great appetizer for a cocktail hour with friends.
Of course, you can change up the toppings. To avoid soggy focaccia, blot any excess liquid from toppings with a paper towel, and don’t weigh it down with too many.
Focaccia with Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella
(4 – 6 servings)
1 cup warm water, 100-110º F
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
Garlic Oil
1 small clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper and/or a few red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings
prosciutto
fresh mozzarella
roasted red pepper, jarred
black olives
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and allow it to sit for one minute. Stir and add the olive oil, salt, thyme, and oregano. Whisk to combine.
Gradually add the flour, kneading with your hands or the stand mixer’s dough hook until it forms a firm ball. It should be soft but not sticky.
Coat a large bowl with olive oil and transfer the dough to that bowl. Cover with a cloth and allow it to rise in a warm area for 90 minutes. It should double in size.
Preheat oven to 475º F. If you have a pizza stone, preheat that too. If not, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
Toss the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pressing gently with your fingers, flatten the dough into a 10” x 12” rectangle.
Pre-bake the dough for 10 -12 minutes or until it’s lightly golden.
Combine all of the ingredients for the garlic oil in a small bowl. Slice the prosciutto, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, and black olives.
Brush the baked focaccia with the garlic oil, then arrange the toppings.
Bake for another 7 – 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.
Cut the focaccia into quarters, then cut each into triangles until you have 8 slices.
Think about where your food is coming from on this Earth Day.
“This magical, marvelous food on our plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a story to tell. It has a journey. It leaves a footprint. It leaves a legacy. To eat with reckless abandon, without conscience, without knowledge; folks, this ain’t normal.”
Joel Salatin, Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World
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