Sweet focaccia

Name: Sweet focaccia
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Manitoba flour 380/420 W 2 cups; Whole milk (in the summer best cold or room temperature) 6 tbsp; Water (in the summer best cold or room temperature) 6 tbsp; Eggs (1 medium) 1; Sugar 4 tbsp; Butter at room temperature 4 tbsp; Fine salt 1 tsp; Fresh brewer's yeast 2 tsp; Vanilla extract 1; Orange peel 1; Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp; Sugar to taste; Water at room temperature 7 tbsp

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Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serving: 8 people
Cost: Low
Note + leavening times (around 3 and a half hours)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Ezio Rocchi

At first glance it could be mistaken for a classic genoese focaccia, but after the first bite all doubt will melt away as you realize just how special it is. Sprinkled with sugar, sweet focaccia really is the perfect recipe for a snack. Apart from obviously replacing the typical brine with water and sugar, the dough is also different from the original recipe: it is more similar to pan brioche, with the addition of eggs, milk and butter. Today Ezio Rocchi will reveal all the secrets so that you can prepare this sweet leavened recipe at home. A soft focaccia, made with a dough flavored with vanilla and orange; it is delicious served alone, or filled with a spreadable cream or jam. If you have always dreamed of dipping some focaccia in your cappuccino, then this recipe is perfect for you!

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients (for a 11.8"x15.8" tray): Manitoba flour 2 cups (410 g) - 380/420 W; Whole milk 6 tbsp (90 g) - (in the summer best cold or room temperature); Water 6 tbsp (90 g) - (in the summer best cold or room temperature); Eggs 1 (60 g) - (1 medium); Sugar 4 tbsp (50 g); Butter 4 tbsp (50 g) - at room temperature; Fine salt 1 tsp (7 g); Fresh brewer's yeast 2 tsp (10 g); Vanilla extract 1; Orange peel 1

To grease the tray and garnish the focaccia: Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp (40 g); Sugar to taste; Water 7 tbsp (100 g) - at room temperature

Preparation

How to prepare Sweet focaccia

To make sweet focaccia, place the manitoba flour, the sugar 1 and the water 2 in a bowl. Add the crumbled brewers yeast 3.

Now add a gently beaten egg 4 and start kneading with a hook. Add the milk 5 and knead until homogeneous 6.

Now add the ingredients for seasoning: the grated orange peel 7 and the seeds of a vanilla bean 8. Knead for 7-8 minutes until the dough is smooth, on the lowest speed setting. Now add some of the butter 9.

Switch to the second speed setting and knead until fully absorbed 10; add the salt 11, the rest of the butter, and knead until thoroughly absorbed. Place the dough on a worktop sprinkled with flour 12.

Round the dough 13 and cover with plastic wrap 14. Leave to rest for around 10 minutes, Flatten the dough and fold it 3 ways, first by bringing one of the edges towards the middle 15, then the other edge, and then fold shut.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl with the side folded shut facing down 16, cover with plastic wrap 17 and leave to leaven for 1 hour at room temperature 18, away from drafts of air.

Now grease a 11.8"x15.8" tray with 3 spoons of oil. Flatten the dough by hand 19, then roll it out with a rolling pin 20 into a rectangle the same size as the tray. Place the dough inside the tray and delicately spread it out by hand 21.

It should cover the entire surface; if it retracrs, wait a few minutes and then spread it out once more 22. Cover with plastic wrap 23 and leave to leaven for another hour at room temperature. Now sprinkle a little flour over the surface 24.

Dimple the surface with your fingertips, without pressing down with your thumb and little finger; be sure to keep the palm of your hand as low as possible and close to the surface, so that your dimples are deep enough; be sure to leave a space between the dimples 25. Now add 7 spoons of water to the middle of the focaccia 26 and rotate the tray to spread it to all the dimples. Leave to leaven for another hour at room temperature, without covering with plastic wrap, or, if you like it even softer and taller, rest for another half hour. Bake in a preheated static oven at 374°F for 20-25 minutes, on the lowest tray. Remove the focaccia from the oven when done 27.

Place the focaccia on a cutting board and dampen the surface with a brush 28. Sprinkle with the sugar 29 and shake to remove any excess. Leave to cool until warm and enjoy your sweet focaccia 30!

Storage

Focaccia can be stored in a paper bag for 1 day at most.

Alternatively it can also be frozen after baking.

Freezing the dough before baking is not recommended.

Tips

The best temperature for leavening is 78.8-80.6°F. Don't worry if you can't achieve it, all it means is that times may vary a little. The lower the temperature the longer it takes and vice versa.

If the dough retracts when you place it on the tray stop. Wait 5-6 minutes before spreading it once more.

We recommend you bake according to your own oven. With home ovens, it is always best to start baking focaccia on a low tray, so that it does not darken too much in the first few minutes.