Rosemary Focaccia

For the dough:

• 1 (8-ounce) baking potato, peeled and cut into 2=inch chunks
• 8 ounces (1 cup) warm water (110F)
• 0.17 ounce/5 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) yeast
• 17.85 ounces/506 grams (3 1/2 cups) sifted whole wheat flour
• 0.35 ounce/10 grams (2 teaspoons) sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 0.17 ounce/5 grams (1 teaspoon) sea salt

Boil the potato until soft, about 15 minutes.  Drain, mash, and set aside to cool completely.

Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add the flour, salt, olive oil, and mashed potato and stir with a rubber spatula until a rough dough forms.  Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured countertop.  With floured hands, knead the dough with steady strokes until is is smooth, 12 to 15 minutes.  Lightly oil the inside of a large mixing bowl and place dough inside.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough has doubled in size and doesn’t spring back when poked with a fingertip, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inch metal rimmed baking pan the measures at least 1 inch deep.  With moistened hands, flatten the dough and press it into the pan.  Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and loosely drape with plastic wrap.  Let stand until puffy and almost doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Just before baking, use your fingertips to dimple the dough at 2-inch intervals.  Crush the rosemary with your hands and sprinkle over the dough.  Drizzle the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt.  Bake until the bottom of the focaccia is golden brown and crisp and the top is golden, about 15-20 minutes (you can peek underneath by carefully lifting the bread from the pan with a metal spatula).

Use a spatula to remove the focaccia from the pan and slide it onto a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.  Serve warm, or cool completely and serve at room temperature.

 

adapted from “Bread Making: Crafting the Perfect Loaf from Crust to Crumb” by Lauren Chattman