Biscuit Focaccia with Lemons, Olives & Rosemary
Biscuit Focaccia with Lemons, Olives & Rosemary
By Chadwick Boyd
Who Knew Biscuit Dough Could Make Such a Crisp-Olive Oily-Tender Focaccia?
If you are fans of Samin Nosrat’s “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” series on Netflix, you will know the episode where she learns how to make focaccia with luscious, golden Italian olive oil. I have been obsessed with watching her finger tips massaging and stretching the dough into the pan ever since. Which got me thinking, “what if I did this with biscuit dough?”
One morning at 6 a.m., I awoke from a strikingly vivid dream of me making Biscuit Focaccia. I sprang from bed, headed into the kitchen and cranked out the first version of this recipe from my dream. It was nearly perfect. I have since made it many, many times. The thin slices of lemon practically candy in the oven, which marries well with the salty, cured black olives and fragrant rosemary. Think of this biscuit focaccia as a canvas once you get the hang of it. You can dress it with myriad combinations of savory and sweet.
Chadwick’s Checklist
What you need to know before you cook.
- Use a jelly roll pan; otherwise a standard rimmed baking sheet will suffice
- Use a wide, shallow, large mixing bowl
- Make sure the butter and the shortening are very cold before using
Serves 8 Prep Time: 2 hours 40 minutes, including chill time Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
½ cup warm water
1 package dry active yeast
1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour + bench flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons kosher salt + 1 tablespoon for finishing
1 stick cold salted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into very small cubes
1½ cups full fat sour cream
¼ cup very cold water
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
½ cup pitted cured black olives (not canned)
1 small lemon sliced thinly
Directions
Stir together the warm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.
In a large, wide mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1½ teaspoons salt. Drop the butter and shortening cubes into the bowl. Toss to coat. Using a pastry cutter, cut into the dry mix until very small crumbs form.
Mix together the sour cream and water in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Pour into the dry mix along with the yeast mixture. Using a sturdy rubber scraper, stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Gently roll out to ½-inch thick with a lightly floured rolling pin into a rectangle. Fold in half. Repeat this 4 times.
Brush the bottom of a jelly roll pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan. Using your fingertips, stretch the dough to the edges of the pan. Top with the olives, rosemary and lemon slices. Refrigerate another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F with the rack in the center.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator. Drizzle the remaining olive oil on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining salt. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.
Drizzle with more olive oil before serving, if desired.
Chadwick’s Changeups
Switch things up. Have some fun! Do more.
- Add a tablespoon of finely chopped garlic to the topping. Or very finely sliced pieces of shallot.
- Top the focaccia with a couple tablespoons of Parmesan as soon as it comes out of the oven
- Sprinkle with more fresh rosemary before serving. Use fresh thyme instead, if desired.
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