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from my kitchen to yours

Fire Burning Oven Focaccia

Focaccia

Focaccia (pronounced fo-kah-cha) is a flat bread similar to pizza dough that can be either sweet or savory. In Italy, Liguria is the best known region for focaccia, which is called “classica” in Genoa, a focaccia 1/2 to 1 inch thick, with a light crust and an surface full of indentations that hold oil. In Liguria, another favorite is focaccia di Recco, made of a very thin sheet of dough stuffed with a fresh cheese, such as crescenza.

Ingredients

Dough:

2 1/2 cups warm filtered water

2 1/4 tsp organic instant yeast

2 tsp local honey

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

5 cups AP Flour

5 tsp. kosher salt

For Finishing:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

A few pinches Maldon sea salt

3 tbsp salted butter, softened

2 large springs thyme

1 large garlic clove, grated or crushed

Instructions

1

In in medium bowl, add honey, yeast, and warm water. Allow the yeast to bloom, which means the yeast with begin to foam after about ten minutes.

2

Add olive oil to liquid, and mix with a rubber spatula. Then add flour and salt and mix well until you have formed a soft dough. For one hour, fold dough two times every 20 minutes (3 times total).

3

Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 24 hours.

4

When you are ready to bake your focaccia, pull the dough out of the refrigerator. Butter the surface inside of a 13x9” metal rectangular pan, and then place 2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan. Transfer the dough to prepared pan.

5

Allow the dough to come to room temperature.

6

In the meantime, build your charcoal or wood burning oven. You want the temperature to come up to at least 400 to 450 degrees.

7

Once the dough has come to room temperature and risen a bit, press your fingertips into the dough all over, creating dimple like indentations. Drizzle remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil on top of the focaccia. Sprinkle generously with Maldon sea salt. Bake the focaccia in the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

8

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter, then immediately add thyme sprigs and garlic. Turn off heat and allow garlic and thyme to infuse in butter until the focaccia is finished baking.

9

Once focaccia is pulled out of the oven, pour thyme, garlic, butter mixture all over the top of the focaccia. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, if you can resist, before enjoying with your favorite spreads, sauces, cheeses, sandwich, or just alone as amazing as is.

Cheers!

M

Agnolotti

An iconic dish from Piemonte, agnolotti del plin gets its name from the regional dialect for “pinch,” which is the technique to forming these filled pasta pockets.

For Pasta dough

500g of pasta flour, plus more for dusting

1 pinch of salt

6 quail eggs

2 oz tomato paste

1 oz of olive oil

1

Sieve the flour and salt onto a large, clean work surface and create a mound.

2

Make a well in the middle and pour in the eggs, tomato paste, and olive oil. Mix slowly with clean hands to create a dough.

3

Knead for 5–10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic then form into a ball, wrap tightly in cling film and rest on the counter for at least an hour (in the meantime, make agnolotti filling).

4

Unwrap the dough and cut it into smaller portions (so it’s easier to work with); dust with flour and cover the rest with a tea towel.

5

Take a piece and flatten in flour until it’s the thickness of a pound coin then feed it through a pasta machine on the thickest setting. Fold the dough in half and pass it through the machine a few more times until the dough is smooth.

6

Once you have a smooth dough, gradually decrease the setting on the pasta machine, rolling the dough through twice on each setting until you achieve sheets of 2mm thickness and around 30cm in length (do not fold in between rolling).

7

Lay sheets on lightly flour dusted counter top, ready to pipe with filling.

Forming Agnolotti

1

Pipe ½ tsp dots of your filling in 3cm intervals along the pasta. Ideally you should fit 5 per pasta sheet.

2

Carefully fold over the pasta and push down to seal, making a tube. Trim away any excess pasta.

3

Use your fingers to pinch between the filling to seal and create pockets.

4

Fold the pasta forwards to make a flap then use a pasta wheel for a fluted effect or a sharp knife to separate each pocket. Store agnolotti on a flour dusted sheet pan and begin to make sauce, as well as fill a large pot with water and heavily salt. Begin to bring to a boil.

For Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup of reserved filling

3/4 cup zucchini, cubed

1/2 cup white wine, good quality

2 thyme sprigs

1 lemon, zested

1

In a medium sauce pan, heat to medium high, and add olive oil. Add reserved filling, and break up into small pieces. Add diced zucchini, and cook until all is golden brown.

2

Add white wine and thyme sprigs. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, and finish with lemon zest.

3

Hold sauce in pan, and begin to cook pasta.

Final Steps to Enjoying

Kosher Salt

Parmesan

Fresh Basil

Once water is boiling, heavily pour salt into water. Add agnolotti to boiling water, and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Lower heat if necessary to maintain a steady boil, but not roaring too high. Strain agnolotti directly into sauce, and add about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss to coat, and remove thyme sprigs. Plate pasta and garnish with parmesan and torn basil, if desired.

Enjoy!

M