Cast-iron Focaccia

Cast-iron Focaccia

March 26, 2020

Servings: 8

Prep: 6 hr

Cook: 15 min

Total: 6 hr 15 min

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The ultimate homemade focaccia - a soft and airy center, sandwiched by crispy, flaky crusts. Seasoned with pesto, parmesan and red pepper flakes.

By: A Wholesome New World

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 3 cups flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp salt
• Toppings:
• 2 TBSP pesto (can make fresh or use prepared)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 TBSP red pepper flakes
• 2 TBSP olive oil

Directions

• Step 1 Stir all dough ingredients together in a glass bowl until dough comes together and starts to pull away from the side.
• Step 2 In another bowl, pour 1 TBSP olive oil and brush around the sides of the bowl. Transfer your dough to the second bowl and let it rise for 60 min covered with a damp kitchen towel.
• Step 3 After 1 hour, fold the door over a few times and allow it to continue to rise for another ~6 hours.
• Step 4 When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Oil a large cast iron skillet and transfer the dough to the pan. Carefully stretch the dough out to fit the pan. Brush with more oil, pesto, Parmesan Cheese and sprinkle with red pepper flakes on top. Baked for 15 min until the focaccia starts to turn golden.

If you’re drooling just based on the photo alone, then read no further – this recipe is for you. There is almost nothing I appreciate more than fresh baked bread, especially now that we’re nearing the 2-weeks-of-quarantine mark. I’ve been leaning in to all of the baking recipes this week (muffins, pizza dough, even empanadas) and today I decided to tackle bread, head on. For years, we’ve relied on our trust bread maker (one of Marc’s favorite kitchen gadgets) to make bread from scratch. You just pour in all of the ingredients and let the bread maker to its thing (literally, magic). So I never even considered making bread in my cast iron skillet until now. Well, let me tell you – my mind is forever blown.

I can’t even take the full credit for the recipe or the idea – this all was inspired by one of my oldest and best-est friends, Kiele! Who btw, has now totally wowed me with her closet baking talent. So basically, this is my ode to her. ♥

However, I will take credit for bringing her recipe into the limelight and sharing it with the world. She texted me a pic of her own focaccia earlier this week and, since then, I was on a mission to recreate it. And this post is the living proof of that. I just wish you could smell how delicious the finished product is as you read this post. (If you’re even reading it – honestly I can’t blame you if you went straight to the recipe and stopped there!)

This is a recipe that all home cooks should definitely add to their line-up; it will wow everyone – your family, your guests, fellow foodies who see it on your blog (wink, wink). And the recipe is not even a heavy lift… unless you count lifting the skillet, that is. The “hardest” part about this recipe? Staying patient while it rises. In my case, I killed the time by making 5 other recipes. (What can I say, stress makes some people binge-watch; I on the other hand binge-cook!). So keep an eye out for more of those recipes to come too. Enjoy every bite (and comment below with what you thought about the recipe!).