Recipes
Turkey Focaccia|Weston Table
Thanksgiving Focaccia
Who says you shouldn't play with your food? Making focaccia bread, a simple and delicious Italian speciality, is all the more fun to serve and eat when you decorate the top with vegetables and herbs. This year, invite someone into the kitchen to help make a  turkey inspired focaccia that will undoubtedly charm guests and get the feasting day conversations started.
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cuisine Italian
difficulty Moderate
recipe small plates
season Fall & Winter
serves 18

Ingredients

  • 600 grams bread flour
  • 600 grams all-purpose flour
  • 28 grams kosher salt
  • 4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 40 grams extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1070 grams lukewarm water
  • Sea salt flakes
  • Rosemary and thyme sprigs
  • 6 mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 jarred artichoke hearts
  • 2 peppercorns
  • 1/2 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 roasted yellow pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 pint tiny tomatoes, halved

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, all-purpose flour, Kosher salt, yeast, and sugar. Add the olive oil and the water, and mix with a spatula until a shaggy, wet and sticky dough forms.
  2. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and the dough rest for 5 minutes. 
  3. Wet your hands, then take a section of the dough and stretch it up and fold it onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat the process. Repeat this twice until all of the dough has been stretched and folded. Repeat the process for a total of 8 stretch and folds.
  4. Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel and leave the bread to rest for 2 minutes. 
  5. Repeat the stretch and fold and rest process twice more, for a total of three rounds of stretch and folds, each two minutes apart. 
  6. Drizzle the surface of the dough with olive oil, and turn the dough over in the bowl to coat.
  7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
  8. Generously drizzle a half sheet baking tray with olive oil.
  9. Turn the dough out into the half sheet baking tray and turn it to fully coat it in the oil. Shape into a rough rectangle shape by pressing it down with your oiled fingers and tucking edges and corners in if needed. Let the bread dough relax for 5 minutes.
  10. Dip your fingers in olive oil and gently spread the dough toward the edges of the pan. It may not reach all the way, this is fine as the bread will spread during the final rise.
  11. Dip your fingers in olive oil and gently spread the dough toward the edges of the pan. It may not reach all the way, this is fine as the bread will spread during the final rise.
  12. Drizzle the surface of the dough with a little more olive oil so that it does not dry out. 
  13. Leave the pan in a warm spot, uncovered, to rise, until doubled in size and puffy, about 2 hours.
  14. It is ready to bake, when you can gently press small indentations that slowly spring back. Trim any dough that has risen and fallen over the side of the baking tray.
  15. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. (without convection).
  16. Oil your fingers and use them to dimple the dough all over, pressing your fingers almost to the bottom of the pan. Bubbles will form in the dough - do not pop them.
  17. At a minimum sprinkle flaky sea salt.
  18. If making the turkey, cut and arrange the vegetables and toss the vegetables in olive oil so that they do not burn. Trim one artichoke heart for the turkeys head. Halve the remaining artichoke hearts and fan them for use as the body. Use a fresh yellow pepper slice for the beak, and the peppercorns for the eyes. (The rosemary and thyme used for the turkey's legs and feathers should be placed after the focaccia is baked). Sprinkle the bread with sea salt flakes.
  19. Immediately transfer to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface and pulling away from the sides of the pan. 
  20. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to stand for 5 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to prevent the bottom from getting soggy. 
  21. Leave to cool. Add the rosemary feet and feathers and take a picture before slicing into pieces using a bread knife. Store leftovers lightly wrapped at room temperature.

Kitchen Notes

Wet dough equals a light and airy fluffy bread center. Weighing ingredients, particularly when baking bread, is always the best way to insure a foolproof, consistent result. Store leftover bread loosely covered on the counter and for best results reheat in the oven. Check the expiration date on yeast before beginning. Jarred peppers and artichokes are fine.

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