Best Fennel Seed Focaccia With Kalamata Olives Recipes

FENNEL FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Cook the fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Combine the flour, water, 3 tablespoons olive oil, the yeast, sugar, kosher salt and the toasted fennel seeds in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, dust with more flour and knead, stretching the dough and folding it over itself, until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes (dust with more flour as needed). Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch nonstick baking dish with 3 tablespoons olive oil, letting the excess oil pool on the bottom. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and push it to the edges with your fingers (it should almost fill the pan). Cover and let rise again until the dough is puffed and the pan is full, about 1 hour.
• Uncover the dough and press deep dimples all around with your fingers. Scatter the fennel over the dough and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, letting some oil pool in the dimples. Sprinkle generously with flaky salt. Cover and let rise again until small bubbles appear in the dough, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450˚.
• Uncover the dough and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

FOCACCIA WITH OLIVES AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Place 2 cups warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle dry yeast over; stir with fork. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes.
• Add 4 1/4 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture and stir to blend well (dough will be sticky). Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is sticky, about 10 minutes. Form dough into ball. Oil large bowl; add dough, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm area until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough; knead into ball and return to same bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm area until doubled, about 45 minutes or less
• Coat 15x10-inch baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Punch down dough. Transfer to prepared sheet. Using fingertips, press out dough to 13x10-inch rectangle. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over dough. Sprinkle olives and chopped rosemary evenly over. Let dough rise uncovered in warm area until puffy, about 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475°F. Press fingertips all over dough, forming indentations. Bake bread until brown and crusty, about 20 minutes. Serve bread warm or at room temperature.

KALAMATA OLIVES WITH FENNEL AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Using a stripper or vegetable peeler, remove orange zest in long strips, avoiding pith. With a sharp stainless-steel knife, remove pith. Cut between membranes into sections and cut sections into thirds.
• Toss orange zest and pieces with remaining ingredients, and serve.