FROM forerunner to forefront, focaccia is the current Italian bread of choice. Focaccia finds
increasing favorBefore baking, the pizza-like flat bread is dimpled with a finger, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and flavored with garlic, herbs and coarse salt.
Focaccia was the forerunner of pizza, according to the Frugal Gourmet, Jeff Smith. Early Etruscans baked the flat dough on hearth stones, he noted in "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian" (William Morrow, 1993, $22).
"They called the dish focaccia, which in Latin means 'from the floor of the fireplace,' " he said, adding that the versatile bread makes terrific sandwiches.
Cookbooks such as "The Classic Italian Cookbook" by Julia Della Croce (DK Publishing, 1996, $24.95) use the same dough for both pizza and focaccia.
R. Field Wine Company offers imported Italian focaccia at its new Beretania Foodland location. The ready-to-bake Parmalat focaccia is $3.48 per package.
R. Field offers a mini-grand-opening tasting of premium Kendall-Jackson wines from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the new site. Also, specialty food buyer Rex Howell-Smith says air-flown, vine-ripened produce is available, including Rainier cherries, white peaches, apriums (cross between apricot and plum), baby squashes with blossoms and pencil asparagus, plus Maui baby romaine and Hauula tomatoes.
For requester "Mary of Makiki," here's a recipe for a trendy tomato-topped focaccia.
Tomato focaccia
"Good Housekeeping Best Recipes 1998,"
Time Inc. Home Entertainment, 1997, $24.951 package quick-rise yeastIn large bowl, combine yeast, 1-1/2 cups flour and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt.
About 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 pound ripe plum tomatoes (about 5 medium), sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepperIn 1-quart saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil and 1-1/3 cups water over medium heat, until very warm (120 to 130 degrees).
With mixer at low speed, beat liquid into dry ingredients just until blended. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula. Add 1/2 cup flour; beat 2 minutes. With spoon, stir in 1-1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough.
On lightly floured surface, use floured hands to knead dough about 8 minutes, working in about 1/2 cup more flour while kneading. Cover dough and let rest 15 minutes.
Grease a 15-1/2-by-10-1/2-inch jellyroll pan; sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough evenly into pan; cover and let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees) until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Press fingers into dough almost to bottom of pan, making indentations 1 inch apart. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange sliced tomatoes over top; sprinkle with chopped rosemary, pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Bake focaccia in top third of oven until top is lightly browned, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove to wire rack; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cool slightly to serve warm. Makes 12 servings.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 225 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 360 mg sodium.*
Chicken salad focaccia sandwiches
Westminster Gabany of Olney, Md.,
finalist in 1998 Pillsbury BAKE-OFFHeat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll dough onto ungreased cookie sheet to form 12-by-10-inch rectangle. Starting with short end, fold dough in half; press lightly.
10-ounce can commercially prepared refrigerator pizza crust, such as Pillsbury brand
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
12.5-ounce can chunk chicken in water, drained, or 1-1/3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
Dash garlic powder
Dash onion powderIn small bowl, combine oil and minced garlic; mix well. Spread over dough. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine salad ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
To serve, cut warm focaccia into 4 pieces. Split each piece to form 2 layers. Spoon and spread salad on bottom halves of each focaccia piece; cover with top halves to form sandwiches. Makes 4 sandwiches.
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By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
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Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the
Body & Soul section indicates calculations by
Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts,
a nutritional consulting firm.
