Potato Focaccine #BBB

We made cute little snack-sized, mini focaccia this month!  They are wonderful little snacking bread bites with fresh herbs, or really anything you would use in regular focaccia.  I picked fresh sage out of the garden, which smelled lovely when chopped but was almost undetectable after baking.  So I would either double/triple the sage or switch to the stronger and perhaps more traditional rosemary next time.  Use a really good olive oil for the brushing!  And a baking potato with a mealy (starchy) flesh will yield a lighter crumb than a waxy potato which may turn gummy when you mash.  A mealy potato will also incorporate more easily into the dough.  Fresh herbs are always preferable, but dried will do in a pinch.

 Come, bake along with us this month and try these little snack sized focaccine out!  No blog is necessary to participate, a picture will do. Just send a picture or your post of your finished focaccine to our host by the 29th of this month at plachman at sonic dot net.  New recipes are posted every month on the 16th. Check out our Facebook group to see the participants' baking results during that time.

Potato Focaccine
Makes 10-12 focaccine

150g of yellow or white mealy potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
400g of Italian flour ‘0’ (Manitoba flour) – or 200g Italian flour ‘0’ (Manitoba flour) mixed with 200g durum wheat flour (I just used all purpose flour)
1 tsp of salt
Fresh yeast, 15 g or dry instant yeast, 8 g

3 tbsp Evoo – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
200 ml Lukewarm water (I used my potato water and needed a couple extra tbsp)
7-8 fresh sage leaves, to chop (I would use more next time, it was not noticeable for flavor)
flake salt, to taste

Method

Boil or steam the potatoes in unsalted water.  Drain and let cool slightly but not completely or it will be difficult to mix them to the flour.  Once lukewarm mash or puree and add to the bowl with the flour.  (I pressure steamed and then put mine through a food mill.)  Dissolve the dry yeast in lukewarm water, about 100 ml, or the crumbled fresh yeast.

Chop the sage leaves with a knife or with scissors.
In a large bowl add the flour(s) and add the freshly chopped sage. Add the water with the dissolved yeast and mix with a wooden spoon.  Pour in the olive oil and start kneading the ingredients with your hands.

Add the rest of the water with the salt dissolved in it, and knead well for 10 minutes until you get a soft and moist dough that will be a bit sticky as well.  Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth and let it rise for at least 2 hours in a warm and dry place. 

When the dough is doubled, roll it out with your hands, no rolling-pin (these are focaccine and not pizza). The tip of the fingers will help create the characteristic dimples where the oil collects in little puddles. Add a bit of flour on the chopping board or the kitchen table so you can work it better. Form discs of about 1 centimeter thickeness with a pastry cutter or with an upside-down glass.  Place them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and leave them for another 30 minutes.  (I portioned mine into balls first rather than cutting out the dough, and pressed them out with my fingers.)

 

Once also this last leavening is finished, press focaccine in the center to form the edge and brush with olive oil. 

Bake at 180 ° C (160 C fan) (350 F) for about 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. When cooked, flavor your focaccine with a drizzle of olive oil and rock salt.

While potato focaccine are best eaten the same day they are baked, you can store them in a paper bag for a day.  They are good toasted the next day, or a full steam refresh can be done if you want them just as good as day one.

These are good with soups, stews, even Chinese food!  I had one split and toasted with poached eggs on top this morning.

The rest of the Bread Baking Babes

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
• Judy’s Gross Eats – Judy
• My Diverse Kitchen - Aparna
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories - Karen