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Focaccia with Basil Pesto Butter

Focaccia with Basil Pesto Butter

An easy hand-kneaded focaccia. Served with homemade pesto butter.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rising Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 14x10 baking pan
  • Food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 1 cup warm water (105 degrees)
  • 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups bread flour (360g)

For the Focaccia Topping:

  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp. each red pepper flakes and garlic powder
  • 1½ tsp. flaky sea salt

For the Basil Pesto Butter:

  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tsp. pine nuts
  • 2 tbsp. Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cloves minced garlic
  • ⅛ tsp. kosher salt and pepper
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, stir together the honey and water. Sprinkle with the yeast and let sit ten minutes, until foamy.
  • Stir in the kosher salt and a quarter cup of the oil. Add the flour and stir until a kneadable dough is formed. Add more flour if you need to.
  • Dump the dough on to a floured board and and knead for 8 minutes, adding more flour if the dough gets sticky. I usually add an extra cup of flour, as I knead. The dough should be fairly smooth and stretchy when you're done.
  • Place the dough in a well oiled bowl. Cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for one hour. I like to turn on my oven, just until I can feel any heat. Then, I turn off my oven and put the dough in.
  • When the hour is up, put the dough in a 14x10 baking pan with one inch sides, that has been oiled ( on bottom and sides) with two tablespoons of the olive oil. Stretch the dough out so it fills up the whole pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for thirty minutes. Start preheating the oven at this point, to 425 degrees, so that it will be nice and hot for the bread.
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Dimple all over with your fingers. Mix together the oil and spices and paint the entire pan of dough with it. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While the bread bakes, make the pesto. Place all the ingredients, except the oil and butter, in the food processor. Pulse until everything is ground up. With the motor running, stream in the oil. Stir this pesto into the butter.
  • Take it out of the pan immediately, and let it cool on a wire rack. Serve with the Basil Pesto Butter.
Keyword bread
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