Potato Focaccia

I love baking bread, especially when the weather outside is frightful. And it has definitely been frightful lately too. Our high today is only going to be 7*F or -14*C. BRRRR! Some of the best ways to fight the frigid weather are to stay indoors, to bake bread, and make a big pot of hot soup. I did all of the above. We stayed inside. I made a big pot of split pea soup Split Pea Soup and I made a potato focaccia.

I make all kinds of focaccia, on a regular basis. But I had never made a potato focaccia before now. They are all fun to make, and all are delicious too. I don’t have a favorite. I enjoy them all. This focaccia was a little different than my usual ones though, because I used both regular flour and whole wheat flour, and I added potatoes both to the dough and on top of the focaccia before baking.

Potato Focaccia

First I par-boiled the potatoes. Some I diced very small and some I sliced very thin. I used the diced potatoes for the dough and added the sliced potatoes to the top of the focaccia right before placing it in the oven.

6-7 small new or red potatoes, 34/ diced small and 1/4 sliced thin

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp dry active yeast

3-4 cups flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2-2 cups water

2 tsp coarse salt

1/2-1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp dried thyme and/or marjoram

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste

olive oil for drizzling on top

Par-boil the potatoes for about 12-15 minutes. Then drain and let cool, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the water.

Combine the flours and dry ingredients together and make a well in the center.

Add the yeast and 1/4 cup of olive oil to the reserved potato water, whisk together and let set for about 2-5 minutes.

When the yeast mixture is frothy, add it to the center of the flour mixture and mix from the inside out until it is all mixed together. Then knead on a lightly floured surface for about 6-8 minutes, or until it forms into a soft dough. Add more flour as needed. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size.

Cut the potatoes and set aside.

Add the diced potatoes to the dough and fold in until they are all incorporated into the dough. Cover again and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450*F or 232*C.

Add some olive oil and cornmeal to the bottom a baking sheet and spread around evenly.

Place the dough onto the prepared pan and pat it out to fit the pan with your hands. Then dimple the dough with your fingers to let out some of the extra gases. Place the sliced potatoes on top of the dough. Add a little more of the dried thyme, coarse salt and red pepper flakes, optional on top. Drizzle more olive oil on top.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly crispy. Spray the oven with water 3 times within the first 10 minutes of baking to ensure a crispy crust. Allow the focaccia to cool slightly before slicing it.

It came out so light and fluffy. In keeping with the Italian tradition, I dipped it in olive oil mixed with a little fresh ground pepper and balsamic vinegar too. DELICIOUS! !Mangia!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, stay well and stay warm. ‘Til next time.