Homemade Focaccia Pizza
Our Eating Around the World Adventure took us to Switzerland. Now on this adventure where we try different foods from different countries, I have learnt that food crosses borders. Swiss food like most other countries is influenced by it's neighbours Germany, France and Italy. This recipe is obviously Italian influenced.
This pizza is delicious. This pizza is easy to make.
The dough is so good. It is a no knead dough, which is fabulous. All you have to do is cook a potato, then mix the dough ingredients together, spread it into a baking dish, let it rise for 1 hour, spread on the topping and bake. And you're done. And the flavour is amazing. The dough is the fluffiest, softest dough/bread you will ever eat. It is amazing.
Make sure your milk and water a warm, not hot, as hot water can kill the yeast.
The sauce is delicious to, and very easy to make. And as you spread the sauce on the unbaked dough, as it bakes, it seeps into the dough to create this soft pizza.
This was one of my greatest recipe finds and I know this recipe will be made again and again for my family.
This pizza is delicious. This pizza is easy to make.
The dough is so good. It is a no knead dough, which is fabulous. All you have to do is cook a potato, then mix the dough ingredients together, spread it into a baking dish, let it rise for 1 hour, spread on the topping and bake. And you're done. And the flavour is amazing. The dough is the fluffiest, softest dough/bread you will ever eat. It is amazing.
Make sure your milk and water a warm, not hot, as hot water can kill the yeast.
The sauce is delicious to, and very easy to make. And as you spread the sauce on the unbaked dough, as it bakes, it seeps into the dough to create this soft pizza.
This was one of my greatest recipe finds and I know this recipe will be made again and again for my family.
Recipe
Recipe adapted from Manuela Darling Ganseer's cookbook Winter in the Alps
Serves 4-5
Dough:
250g potatoes
1 teaspoon dried yeast
200ml warm milk
200ml warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
400g plain flour
Tomato Sauce:
15g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 fresh sage leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 fresh bay leaf
75g tomato paste
300g tin Italian peeled tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
50g grated Gruyere cheese
50g grated Emmental cheese
Serves 4-5
Dough:
250g potatoes
1 teaspoon dried yeast
200ml warm milk
200ml warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
400g plain flour
Tomato Sauce:
15g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 fresh sage leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 fresh bay leaf
75g tomato paste
300g tin Italian peeled tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
50g grated Gruyere cheese
50g grated Emmental cheese
For the dough: Boil the potatoes in their skins until just done. Pierce it with a skewer to test if cooked. When cooked, cut the potatoes in half. Place the potato cut side down in a ricer, place the ricer over a large mixing bowl and push the potato through the ricer. The flesh goes through the ricer into the bowl and the peel remains in the ricer, just remove the peel and discard.
Add the remaining dough ingredients to the bowl and mix well with a spoon to combine. The dough will be quite wet, with a consistency similar to thick yoghurt.
Add the remaining dough ingredients to the bowl and mix well with a spoon to combine. The dough will be quite wet, with a consistency similar to thick yoghurt.
Lightly oil a 30cm x 20cm oven tray with a tall side (at least 2-3cm high sides) with extra virgin olive oil. Make sure you rub the oil all over the tray, to ensure the dough doesn't stick to the tray once baked.
Pour the dough into the tray and, with oiled hands, spread the dough to the edges of the pan. Let the dough stand in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it begins to rise.
Pour the dough into the tray and, with oiled hands, spread the dough to the edges of the pan. Let the dough stand in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it begins to rise.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan forced.
In the meantime, make the sauce. Heat the butter and oil in a medium sized saucepan and saute the onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes more, until it darkens in colour, but be careful not to burn it. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, breaking up the tomatoes as they soften with cooking. Remove from heat, discard the rosemary stalk and bay leaf.
Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza base and top with cheeses. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is cooked. The base will rise with baking and the sauce will seep into it to create a soft pizza.
Serve immediately with a green salad.
Enjoy!