Baked Focaccia Sandwich
photo by GaylaJ
- Ready In:
- 13hrs 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
-
Biga
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 1/2 ounces)
- 1 cup water
- 1⁄8 teaspoon instant yeast
-
Dough
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 3/4 ounces)
- 3⁄4 cup water
- 1⁄4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
-
Filling
- 1⁄2 lb thin-sliced salami
- 1 lb thin-sliced provolone cheese
- 4 ounces grated parmesan cheese (1 cup grated) or 4 ounces asiago cheese (1 cup grated)
-
Topping
- 2 ounces grated parmesan cheese (1/2 cup grated) or 2 ounces asiago cheese (1/2 cup grated)
directions
-
Biga:
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, cover and let the mixture rest, at room temperature, for about 12 hours, or overnight (I usually leave it closer to 24 hours).
-
Dough:
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a mixer, combine the biga with all the dough ingredients except 1 cup of the flour, stirring to mix well.
- Add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough becomes cohesive, then knead by hand or machine, until it's springy, about 5 minutes (or a bit longer by hand).
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 60 minutes; it should just about double in bulk.
-
Assembly and Baking:
- Gently deflate the dough, divide it in half and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
- Cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
- Working with half the dough at a time, roll it into an 18 x 13-inch rectangle.
- Don't worry if it's not exactly 18 x 13, you can stretch it once it's in the pan.
- Transfer the dough to an olive-oiled half-sheet (18 x 13-inch) pan.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- After its rest, stretch the dough with your fingers to the edges of the pan; this may take some doing, but keep gently working it until it covers the bottom of the pan.
- If it is entirely too resistant, cover and let rest a little longer.
- Layer half the provolone atop the crust, then all the salami.
- Top the meat with the cup of freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago, then the rest of the provolone.
- Roll the other half of the dough into a rectangle large enough to cover the filled crust.
- Drape it over the filling and seal it to the bottom crust all the way around.
- Cut a small hole in the center to allow any steam to escape.
- Cover the focaccia and let it rise for 30 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the focaccia for 20 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven, sprinkle it with the half cup of Parmesan or Asiago, and return it to the oven.
- Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven and as soon as possible use a large spatula to transfer it to a rack to cool (to prevent the bottom from becoming soggy).
- Slice into generous rectangles to serve.
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Reviews
-
Though mine looked no -where as good as the pic, it was still very delicious! I used ham and a couple different cheeses for the filling. I had company who also sampled and loved it. I had been wanting to make this for a long time, but was too scared. Finally got the nerve up and now I will be making it again! Maybe next time it will look better, but it won't have to in order to be devoured! Thank you Gayla!!!