Focaccia with asparagus and Spring herbs

Spring comes and do I start eating salads...? Occasionally and accidentally - yes. Preferably - I let the greens and the reds get all tasty and tender on top of focaccia.

How about pasta or risotto, which are also fantastic with asparagus. The only problem with those is that when you make it, you want to eat it a.s.a.p..

Asparagus focaccia, on the other hand, you can eat some now, some later, some tomorrow, reheated or not, all good...

Dress it with feta, put it on top of arugula...that has been my favorite way...

...on a balcony with a glass of prosecco.

Recipe by Gray Apron

time: 20 min preparation + 3 hrs inactive + 20 min baking

 ingredients 
800 ml (3 1/3 cups) flour; I used: 1 cup (150 g) regular flour + 2 1/3 cups (280 g) whole spelt flour
25 g (1 oz) fresh yeast
350 ml (1 1/2 cup) lukewarm water
5 g (1 teaspoons) sugar
15 g (2 teaspoons) salt
60 ml (4 Tablespoons) olive oil

500 g (1 lb) green asparagus, hard ends broken off

2 Tablespoon chopped parsley
2 Tablespoon chopped dill

2 - 3 Tablespoons olive oil
5 cherry tomatoes, halved 

 instructions 

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast with 1/2 cup water (taken from the whole amount) and sugar.  In a cup, dissolve salt with the rest of water. Add oil. 

In a bowl of a standing mixer with a hook attachment, sift in flour(s). With a couple moves of your hands, work in the yeast mix. Pour in water/salt/oil mix and let the mixer knead the dough for 10 min on "stir". Place the bowl with the dough (cover with a plastic wrap) in your oven (turned off) for 2 hours till it doubles in size. Meanwhile...cover your baking sheet with olive oil (extra).

Transfer your dough onto the baking sheet and stretch it with your oily fingers to fit your sheet. Let it rise while you are preparing asparagus. Preheat oven to 250C/500F (fan forced function).

Meanwhile...In a large pot, bring about 8 cups water to boil. Add about 2 teaspoon salt (extra). Drop asparagus in boiling water and cook on high for 2 minutes. Remove it and cool it down quickly under running water. Set it in a dish. Cover asparagus (and tomatoes) with herbs and olive oil. 

Arrange vegetables on the dough (press them it a bit). Set it in the hot oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, let it cool 5 minutes. Release it from the baking sheet with a wooden tool if necessary. Cut and serve.

NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES

• I changed my baking method for this one, I increased the temperature to the max and the shorten baking time;
• asparagus came out green out of the oven and stayed that way for almost 1 hour;
• the herbs didn't burn which was my concern;
• I maxed out vegetable/dough ratio but the focaccia handled it very well;
• I did give an extra 5 minutes in the oven to make sure that the middle was set.