Here is the focaccia recipe you requested, but first you need my wife's
recipe for:
PESTO ALLA GENOVESE
2 cups fresh basil leaves, stripped from their stems, coarsely chopped
and tightly packed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped, minced, (or your past participle of choice)
1/4 cup finely chopped pine nuts or walnuts
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated imported Romano or Parmesan cheese
Process in blender or food processor to a smooth paste or puree. This
keeps well in the refr and also freezes well. You said your mother
raises herbs, so perhaps she'll indulge you with some fresh basil. The
above recipe originated in the 1968 Time-Life Foods of the World and was
modified by my wife, whose paternal grandparents were born in Sicily.
and now for the PESTO DOUGH
1 TBSP rapid rise ("Bread-machine") yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup olive oil (flavored if you like)
1 1/4 cups water or more to form a smooth ball
3 TBSP of your home-made pesto (I know they probably sell it in
the grocery where you work, but it ain't the same)
Place all ingredients in the machine in the correct order and program
for Dough or Manual. When this cycle is completed, pat, roll, stretch
the dough into a flat disc on a peel or a 12-14 inch pizza pan which is
sprinkled with cornmeal or lightly oiled. Cover with a clean cloth and
allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to
475 degrees F. with shelf and/or stone in center position. Just before
inserting the focaccia into the oven, make little dimples all over its
surface. Drizzle entire surface with 2 or more TBSP olive oil and
sprinkle with 1 - 2 tsp of coarse salt, e.g. Kosher salt. Bake 18-20
minutes until top is golden brown. I baked mine in a pizza pan and at 15
minutes, slid the focaccia off the pan directly onto the
stone--supposedly for a crisper crust. Hey, it worked!! This recipe
adapted from Lora Brody's wonderful book.
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