Focaccia

I've been trying out different recipes from "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook" that my mother-in-law gave me. In true Martha Stewart fashion, everything in this book looks amazing. So far I've made pizza dough, challah (twice, the second time I modified the recipe a bit), a dobos torte (a 7-layer hungarian cake. Dave's Nana used to make this for his father and they LOVE it. Mine came out OK. Dave ate it, but complained that it wasn't his Nana's!!), and I modified another cake into a sort of strawberry cake. (Again Dave complained that it wasn't like his grandmother's strawberry cake! I can't compete against the grandmothers!!!)

But the Focaccia recipe is so far my favorite. At least it came out the best. This took a long time to make and it had to rise 3 seperate times....but yum...it was worth it!!! It makes a big thing of foccacia, so I need to figure out if the recipe can be cut in half or if I can freeze the dough.

Ingredients:
7 c. bread flour
3 1/2 c. warm water (110-120 degrees)
1 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet of the rapid rise yeast)
2 tbsp. coarse salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt for sprinkling
(not on original recipe, but 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese)

Get the yeast started in a small bowl if using dry yeast by mixing it with 1/4 c. of the water water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the flour, water, and yeast. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the mixture has triples in bulk and full of spongelike bubbles, about 2 hours.
After the dough has risen, add the salt. Attach the bowl to the electric mixer with the dough hook. Mix on low for 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, raise the speed to medium and beat for about 15 seconds. The dough will be wet, slack and very sticky. (Tip: spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray before handling dough. this will help --wont prevent-- your hand from becoming too doughy.)
Using a stick scraper, turn the dough onto a well floured work surface. (The dough will be hard to handle, so resist the urge to add flour to the top.) Fold the dough over itself 4 or 5 times. Fold the top edge down one-third of the way toward the center; turn the dough 45 degrees and repeat. Tap off excess flour as you go. Carefully, scoop up the dough and flip it over, seam side down. Place the dough in a well floured bowl, smooth side up. (Make sure the bowl in large enough to accomadate the dough when it has tripled in size!) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. (Spray the plastic wrap with non-stick spray to prevent it from sticking to the dough.)

Return the dough to a well-floured work surface. Repeat the folding process again. Return the dough to the well-floured and cover with the plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil onto a 17 x 12" baking sheet, coating the bottom completely; set aside.

Return the dough to a well-floured surface; it should feel soft and spingy. Place the dough on the prepared sheet. With your hands, flip the dough over and thoroughly coat both sides with oil. Gently stretching the dough with your fingertips as you turn it over. (Allow the weight of the dough to do the work.) Push the dough to the edges of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap let it rest for 10 minutes. This will allow the dough to be stretched the rest of the way more easily. With the plastic wrap still on top of the dough, press out the dough to fill the pan. Remove the plastic wrap; the dough should be very bubbly and supple. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of the dough. Sprinkle liberally with the sea salt.

Bake, rotating sheet halfway though, until the focaccia is evenly browned on top and bottom, 25-30 minutes. At the halfway point, when I opened the oven to rotate the pan, I sprinkled the 1 c. of parmesan cheese all over the top of the dough.
Immediately slide focaccia onto a wire rack to cool. Best served warm. Slice with a serrated knife or pizza wheel!!