Recipe Homemade Focaccia with Potatoes and Black Garlic

MypinchofItaly

MypinchofItaly

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Focaccia with potatoes and black garlic.jpg


Serves: 6 | Preparation time: 15-20 mins + 2 h to rise | Cooking time: 25 mins

  • Italian ‘0’ flour or plain flour: 1 k
  • Potatoes, with yellow flesh: 350 g
  • Rock salt: 20 g
  • Salt: 15 g
  • Dried yeast: 7 g or Fresh yeast: 5 g
  • Water: 500 ml
  • Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO): 40 ml
  • Black garlic: 3-4 cloves
  • Thyme or rosemary, fresh: 1-2 sprigs
Method

Put 250g of flour in a bowl and add the salt and the yeast. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and 200 ml of water. Start kneading the dough.

Tip: It’s extremely important to use water which is not too cold or too hot, but just lukewarm; otherwise, the yeast will be killed and the dough won’t rise.

Whilst kneading the dough energically for about 10 minutes, gradually add to it the rest of the flour and the water. Keep in mind that the dough for the focaccia must remain quite elastic and sticky. Put the dough in a bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen cloth, slightly damp. Leave the dough to rise for at least 2 hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

Place the dough on an oiled baking tray and use your fingers to spread it out in a thin layer, filling the whole tray.

Tip: When you’re making focaccia, it’s better to stretch out the dough by using your fingers instead of a rolling pin! Whilst the rolling pin would give your focaccia a smooth but ultimately dry surface, using your fingers will create an uneven texture that will better retain moisture and olive oil.

Use a kitchen brush to spread the remaining oil on top of your focaccia. Start to bake the focaccia for 5 minutes at 180°C.

Whilst the focaccia is in the oven, cut the potatoes into slices approximately 5 mm thick. You will notice that the texture of black garlic is completely different than the one of normal, unfermented garlic; use a butter knife to spread the black garlic on top of the potatoes.

Garnish your focaccia with the potato slices and sprinkle on top some thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Put the focaccia back in the oven and bake it for 10-15 minutes at 200°C. Spread some rock salt on top before serving your focaccia.
 
The Late Night Gourmet said:
I have gotten black garlic in the past, but I could never find a good use for it. But, this looks like a perfect vehicle for the sweet / sour flavor.
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Thank you, glad you like it
I really appreciate the effect that black garlic has on potatoes, a pleasant taste, not too sweet. I use black garlic often by now
 
MypinchofItaly said:
Thank you, glad you like it
I really appreciate the effect that black garlic has on potatoes, a pleasant taste, not too sweet. I use black garlic often by now
Click to expand...
It seems that it can be used in situations where I might consider using balsamic vinegar: even though the taste isn't exactly the same, it's similar.
 
The Late Night Gourmet said:
It seems that it can be used in situations where I might consider using balsamic vinegar: even though the taste isn't exactly the same, it's similar.
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Yes, black garlic is similar in taste to the balsamic vinegar, even if I tend to associate the taste of black garlic with that of licorice.

Were you thinking of using balsamic vinegar instead of black garlic to flavor potatoes (for example)? Or did you have anything else in mind?
 
MypinchofItaly said:
Were you thinking of using balsamic vinegar instead of black garlic to flavor potatoes (for example)? Or did you have anything else in mind?
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Brussels sprouts come to mind: I like dipping them in balsamic vinegar, but now I think using the method you used would be a great idea. I would steam them first, then spread black garlic on the surface and bake them.
 
The Late Night Gourmet said:
Brussels sprouts come to mind: I like dipping them in balsamic vinegar, but now I think using the method you used would be a great idea. I would steam them first, then spread black garlic on the surface and bake them.
Click to expand...

I think it's perfect. In fact I had not yet thought of Brussels sprouts, but perhaps simply because I don't cook them or eat them often.
 
Elawin said:
I rather like this recipe but I'm not keen on black garlic. Brussel sprouts sound good, with pecan nuts??
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'I like pasta with sauce, but without the sauce and without pasta' ahahha, I'm joking @Elawin, but it sounds a bit like that.
I imagine your perplexity about black garlic, it was also mine at the beginning, but then I experimented and started using it a little bit on some potatoes that I was stir-frying in the pan and once tasted 'the lab rats', then the black garlic has took up space, but without becoming too much of a protagonist.
What I can tell you is just to try.
Brussels sprouts sound good, yes, with pecans I honestly have no idea ....they don't sound well matched to me, but, hey, I could hugely wrong!
 
What a lovely twist on a classic focaccia @MypinchofItaly. I keep meaning to use the black garlic I have here. Its most definitely a umami ingredient and has something in common with miso, taste wise.
 
MypinchofItaly said:
'I like pasta with sauce, but without the sauce and without pasta' ahahha, I'm joking @Elawin, but it sounds a bit like that.
I imagine your perplexity about black garlic, it was also mine at the beginning, but then I experimented and started using it a little bit on some potatoes that I was stir-frying in the pan and once tasted 'the lab rats', then the black garlic has took up space, but without becoming too much of a protagonist.
What I can tell you is just to try.
Brussels sprouts sound good, yes, with pecans I honestly have no idea ....they don't sound well matched to me, but, hey, I could hugely wrong!
Click to expand...
Brussel sprouts with pecan nuts taste fantastic, especially roasted - trust me :laugh:
 
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