Spring Focaccia

We love it when you can eat your artwork! Here is a beautiful way to celebrate spring. We decorated this pan of focaccia bread with cultivated and foraged mushrooms as well as the earliest, edible spring greens from the garden and from our Farmer Dave CSA share. The focaccia recipe was taken from one of our old, favorite cookbooks, Simply in Season, by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. 

Spring Focaccia Bread

2 c. warm water

2T. active dry yeast

2 c. rye or whole wheat flour

1/4 c. olive oil

2 t. salt

2 T. sugar

4 c. bread flour

Assorted mushrooms, edible flowers, and spring greens & herbs

Optional: 1/4 chopped fresh herbs

 

Combine water & yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Add the rye flour, oilive oil, salt & sugar. Stir until smooth. 

Add enough bread flour to make a stiff dough. Knead 8 - 10 minutes (by hand or with a dough hook) until elastic.

Place in a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, approximately 45 minutes. 

Optional: Fold in fresh, chopped herbs

Stretch dough to fill a 10"x15" jelly roll pan. 

Brush with olive oil. Arrange mushrooms, flowers, and greens. 

Cover and allow to rise for 15 minutes. 

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. 

Note: This dough recipe is very flexible. For thinner focaccia or pizza crust, spread into more pans.