Jul 14, 2014

Flipped rye focaccia with cherry tomatoes, olives and prosciutto


In this upside down version of focaccia, juices and flavors from tomatoes, olives and prosciutto don't have any other place to go but into the bread...










Flipped rye focaccia with cherry tomatoes, olives and prosciutto 
adapted from la Prova del Cuoco and Giallo Zafferano
time: 15 min preparation / 3 hrs inactive / 25 min baking

ingredients
bread 
800 ml (3 1/3 cups) flourI used 150 g (1 cup) regular flour + 250 g (2 1/3 cups) whole rye flour
12 g (1/2 oz) fresh yeast
5 g (1 teaspoon) sugar
350 ml (1 1/2 cups) tepid water (30C/86F), quantity divided
15 g (2 teaspoons) salt
60 ml (4 Tablespoons) olive oil
extra flour and olive oil for finishing
topping
450 g (1 lb) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
handful black olives, cut in half
1 - 2 prosciutto crudo  slices, torn into pieces
2 teaspoons bread crumbs
28 g (1 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 
fresh ground pepper to taste

instructions
In a small bowl, crumble yeast and mix it with sugar and about 50 ml (4-5 Tablespoons) water to dissolve completely (I use my fingers for mixing). In a jar, mix the rest of the watersalt and 4 Tbs. olive oil.

In a bowl of a standing mixer, sift the flour(s). Using your hands, mix in the yeast mix. With the mixer running on "stir" and equipped with a needle attachment, gradually pour in the water mix, checking often if the flour from the bottom of the bowl is getting incorporated.  Knead the dough for 10 minutes (total). Using a plastic scraper, clean the sides of the bowl and form a smooth mass of dough. Covered it with a cotton cloth and place it warm place (f.ex. oven turned off) for at least 2 hours, till it doubles or triples in size. Line a half baking sheet (30/40cm, 11/16inch) with a pice parchment paper (big enough to hang over the sides). 

Prepare topping. Cover lined baking sheet with olive oil, coarse salt and bread crumbs. Arrange tomatoes (open side down), olives and prosciutto pieces in between.

Back to bread. After dough doubles in size in a bowl (2-3 hours), transfer it onto a rolling board covered with some extra flour. The dough will turned out loose. Using a rolling pin and more flour if needed, make a rectangle shape, not too thin. Set it on top of tomatoes on the baking sheet. Cover the sheet with a cotton cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes (optional).

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 230C/425F (fan forced function). Place focaccia the oven for 25 minutes (max). Remove from the oven. Flip the bread (with the sheet) upside down, lift the sheet then the paper. Drop grated Parmesan on top, cut and serve...hot, warm or cold.

notes
  • I was particularly excited about prosciutto that normally, when put on top of pizza or focaccia, gets dry and not good and should not be used;
  • here, the flavor and the fat was locked into the bread; 
  • in the end, the flipped focaccia had a moist, juicy top and a nice, golden bottom;
  • Hania first dug out and ate the tomatoes and then the rest...

31 comments:

  1. I want to dig right in! Wonderful bread Ela :)

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  2. What a gorgeous recipe! It sounds delicious, and looks amazing.

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  3. Mmmm I have some prosciutto leftover from another recipe right now and was trying to decide how to use it! This looks delicious!

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  4. yum.. craving a slice of this focaccia right now! love the flavour combination.. defintiely a recipe i will be saving to try. thanks for sharing!

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  5. Tomato and olive bread is SO good. Especially when it is warm from the oven.

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  6. Those tomatoes look wonderful! What a yummy focaccia!

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  7. What a neat technique! It made for a gorgeous focaccia!
    PS...I didn't seem to have any trouble gnawing on a frozen Rolo candy! But maybe they slowed my pace down just a little :)

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  8. Oh yarm! The perfect yummy to be served on this rainy and miserable day we are having today. Would work with a big punchy glass of red vino too. Looks delicious Ela.

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  9. I love the way you put everything on the pan and how beautiful it looked when you turned it upside down!

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  10. The bread looks particularly crusty prepared this way...well done, Ela.

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  11. LOVE this! The upside down action is so clever! And it looks like the perfect summer appetizer to me!

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  12. What a great idea Ela, absolutely love this!!

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  13. This looks incredible Ela! I can just imagine how fresh and bursting with flavor this must be from all the tomatoes and olives! Love this recipe!

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  14. That bread look so good! Great flavors!

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  15. Wow! This looks delicious! I love how the tomato juice just oozes out when you cut it! :)

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  16. I can picture hands grabbing this lovely-looking focaccia and it being gone in minutes. Looks great with the tomatoes!

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  17. Anonymous7/16/2014

    Cherry tomato and olive such a treat for eyes and mouth:) great recipe

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  18. It looks so gorgeous with cherry tomatoes!

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  19. Clever....an upside down focaccia! Looks delicious...and easy to make too. Great photos!

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  20. This looks stunning, great summer flavours too.

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  21. My cherry tomatoes are slow to ripen this summer with all of the rain and cool weather we've been having, but when they do, I'd love to try this beautiful focaccia!

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  22. Absolutely Stunning Ela!! Love the idea.... Looks so delicious... Superb!! :)

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  23. I love baking with cherry tomatoes. This tart is so beautiful - you did just a wonderful job with this recipe!

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  24. This is so beautiful sweet friend. You always inspire me. I love the thought of this focaccia with the tomatoes we've been growing.

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  25. Got'ya! Your posts finally in my reading list ;-)
    Have fun in Croatia (what countries are U traveling through?)! See Dubrovnik if you're around.

    Focaccia looks awesome!

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    1. :) Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia. We are not going reach Dubrovnik (beautiful, I've been) this time, will be staying on an island close to Rijeka. :))

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    2. Enjoy! ....and take a lot of photos ;-)

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  26. What a brilliant idea and a wonderful way to flavour bread I shall be trying this very soon.

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  27. A great idea. This focaccia looks magnificent.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  28. Ela, you are incredible! This focaccia looks wonderful...I love prosciutto! This is a must try in my book.

    xo

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  29. How did I miss this recipe! Wow - love a good focaccia - you really made a gorgeous loaf!

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