Pear Rosemary and Goat Cheese Foccacia
Add some goodies on top of flat bread, put it in the oven and out comes deliciousness. It’s that simple. You can either make your own bread or you can get some in the store. If you get foccacia in the store it comes in different thicknesses. If the bread is more than an inch thick I usually slice it in half and then sprinkle with olive oil and add my toppings. But if you want to make foccacia from scratch it is very simple and all you need is a little time for it to rise. You can really use your own imagination of what you want to put on the bread. I love the combination of salt, rosemary and olive oil and you could leave it at that – but adding cheese and pears gives it a little sweetness and creaminess. There are so many options, just use your imagination.
The Pear Rosemary and Goat Cheese Foccacia is featured in the second issue of the amazing magazine by House of Fifty. If you missed it you have to go and check it out, Janell of Isabella and Max did a fabulous job and all the recipes have step by step instructions.
Picture from House of Fifty
Pear Rosemary and Goat Cheese Foccacia
Yield: 2 - 9 inch breads
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (177 ml) warm water (105° to 110°F)
2 tsp (30 ml) milk, slightly warmed
1 1/2 tsp (6 grams) sugar
1 1/4 tsp (5 grams) active dry yeast
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (3 grams) salt
6 tbsp (90 ml) olive oil
2 Bartlett Pears (thinly sliced)
1 tsp fresh rosemary needles
8 ounces of goat cheese
2 tsp coarse sea salt
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the water, milk, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the yeast mixture and mix well on low. Attach the dough hook, raise the speed to medium-low and knead the dough for 8 minutes longer.
Brush a large bowl with a generous amount of olive oil. Scrape dough into the bowl and brush the top with additional oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a cool place until it doubles in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Press the dough down with a floured hand. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into two balls. Brush a large baking sheet (or two small ones) with olive oil, place the balls of dough on it and brush the top with more oil. Set it aside for 20 minutes, lightly covered with a kitchen towel. After 20 minutes, dip your fingers in olive oil and press and stretch each ball of dough into an 8 to 9-inch circle shape. It will be dimpled from your fingers. Cover again with the towel and let it rise for another 1 1/4 hours in a cool place.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Brush tops of dough with remaining olive oil and top the sliced pear, goat cheese, rosemary, coarse sugar and coarse sea salt evenly over the dough. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and puffed around edges. Let cool before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
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