Hand-Kneaded Focaccia
Potatoes add softness, height, and moisture to the dough, while a quick sponge creates air pockets and chewiness.
Gather Your Ingredients
DoughBefore You Begin
Rapid-rise or instant yeast reduces the preparation time by more than an hour. If you use an equal amount of regular active dry yeast instead, let the sponge in step 2 develop for thirty minutes rather than twenty, and increase the first and second rises to one and one-half hours each.
Instructions
1.
FOR THE DOUGH: Boil 1 quart water in small saucepan; add potato and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain potato well; cool until it can be handled comfortably and put through fine disk on ricer or grate through large holes on box grater. You will need 1 1/3 cups lightly packed potato for this recipe.
2.
Meanwhile, mix yeast, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup warm water with wooden spoon in large bowl; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour to starter, then beat with wooden spoon for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups flour, oil, salt, remaining 1/2 cup water, and reserved potato; continue beating until dough comes together. Turn dough onto floured surface; knead in remaining 1/4 cup flour until dough is elastic and sticky, 4 to 5 minutes.
3.
Transfer dough to lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free area until dough is puffy and doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4.
With wet hands (to prevent sticking), press dough flat into generously oiled 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch jelly roll pan (see illustration 1). Or, halve and flatten each piece of dough into 8-inch round on large (at least 18 inches long), generously oiled baking sheet (illustration 2). Cover dough with lightly greased or oil-sprayed plastic wrap; let rise in warm, draft-free area until dough is puffy and doubled in volume, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5.
Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. With two wet fingers, dimple risen dough (illustration 3) at regular intervals.
6.
FOR THE TOPPING: Drizzle dough with oil and sprinkle evenly with rosemary and coarse salt, landing some in pools of oil.
7.
Bake until focaccia bottom(s) are golden brown and crisp, 23 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool slightly. Cut rectangular focaccia into squares or round focaccia into wedges; serve warm. (Focaccia can be kept on counter for several hours and reheated just before serving. Or, wrap cooled focaccia in plastic and then foil and freeze for up to 1 month; unwrap and defrost in 325-degree oven until soft, about 15 minutes.)
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