Ian's Grilled Focaccia

Recipe and photos by Ian Huffam

Now that summer’s finally arrived, who wants to stay inside to cook? This grilled focaccia recipe is an ideal accompaniment to a summer antipasti platter, and it won’t heat up your kitchen! Salamoia Bolognese, a new addition to our shelves, is an all-in-one Italian seasoning salt with garlic, rosemary, sage, and black pepper. It’s excellent on all Italian dishes, but it takes even more work out of what is already a fairly easy bread recipe. Brodflour, based out of Stonewall, Manitoba, mills a Prairie Hard Red flour that delivers rich sweet ‘n spicy notes to any bread recipe. Fear not if grilling isn’t an option, apartment/condo dwellers, we also have directions for a conventional oven.  

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup           warm water (about 100-110F)
1 tbsp          honey
2 tsp            active dry yeast
2 ½ cups     Brodflour Stone Milled Prairie Hard Red flour
2 tbsp          Barbera Tipo Famiglia Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for dough)
1 ¼ tsp        Salamoia Bolognese (for dough)
2 tbsp          Barbera Tipo Famiglia Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for topping, plus an extra 2 tbsp for greasing pan)
1 tbsp          Salamoia Bolognese (for topping)
2 tbsp          Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, grated

 Method

1. In a large bowl, combine warm water and honey. Sprinkle in yeast, let bloom for about 10 minutes until yeast is dissolved and frothy.
2. Stir in Brodflour, 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1 ¼ tsp Salamoia, forming a dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Turn dough out of bowl onto a lightly floured work surface, knead 8-10 minutes. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
4. Place dough in a lightly-greased bowl, turning to ensure dough is greased all over. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel, and let rise 1-2 hours in a warm spot until doubled in size.
5. To prepare pan: grease a rimmed baking sheet with 2-3 tbsp olive oil, making sure to grease all over (a little pooling is all right; this will help to ensure a good crust). Optionally, you may then sprinkle the sheet with 1-2 tsp cornmeal or semolina (cream of wheat).
6. Once dough is risen, punch down and stretch into a 12x18 rectangle, which should be about ½ inch thick. Place rectangle on greased baking sheet, cover again, and rest 10-20 minutes.
7. For topping: with a spoon (or your thumb), press dimples into the dough, making sure they are nice and deep. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle remaining Salamoia and cheese all over.
8. Cover dough one last time and let rise 20 minutes.
9. Preheat your barbecue to medium heat (375-400F). Place baking sheet with dough on grill, put the top of the barbecue down, and reduce heat to medium-low (alternatively, you can turn your burners down as low as they go). Bake 10-15 minutes (after 10 minutes, gently lift one corner of bread to check it s progress. Bottom should have a golden-brown crust).
10. Remove sheet from barbecue. Flip bread over onto grill, upside-down (this takes confidence!). Cover again and bake another 3-4 minutes, until top is golden and has satisfying grill marks (you may wish to turn your burners a little higher for this part). Remove from heat, flip right-side-up onto a cutting board or clean sheet tray. Let cool for a few minutes, and serve.
11. For conventional oven: Place pizza stone (or an upside-down baking sheet) on lowest rack of oven, preheat to 375F. Bake 15-20 minutes, until top is golden and bottom crust is brown.