Recipe by Pati Jinich
Ingredients
- For Focaccia:
- 1 ea. packet instant dry yeast (1/4 oz.)
- 4 c. all purpose flour, plus more for kneading dough
- 1/2 t. sugar
- 1-1/2 c. warm water
- 1/2 t. kosher salt
- 2 T. olive oil, plus more to grease the bowl
- For Toppings:
- 1 lb. cherry tomatoes
- 2/3 c. thinly sliced shallots
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 t. kosher salt
- 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb. Poblano chiles, roasted, sweated, peeled, and cut into strips
- 2 ea. Avocados From Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
- 6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
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Instructions
- To Prepare the Focaccia, in a small bowl, mix yeast with ½ cup of flour and sugar. Cover with ½ cup of the warm water –too cold and yeast won’t react, too hot and yeast will die. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until fully combined. Set bowl aside to a warm and draft-free area of your kitchen for 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and is a bit frothy.
- Add salt, remaining water, remaining 3½ cups of flour and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir with the spatula until it is all mixed and can be gathered into a ball.
- Flour counter top generously with flour and transfer the dough. Knead, adding flour and scraping the countertop as needed, until it is smooth and loses its stickiness.
- Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to a large bowl. Place dough in the bowl, and move it around so it is all covered in oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in that warm and draft free area of your kitchen. Let it rest for about an hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Preheat oven to 450 ̊F.
- Prepare toppings. In medium mixing bowl, combine olive oil, salt, pepper and shallots. Add tomatoes toss well and spread on a 9x13 rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 18 minutes or until tomatoes are mushy and appear barely charred on top. Remove from the oven and scrape into a bowl. Incorporate the roasted, peeled and diced poblano peppers. Set aside.
- To assemble, grease a 9x13 rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Stretch the dough with your hands to fit the entire pan, pressing lightly as you do. Cover with the tomato mix and spread evenly. Bake for 18 minutes or until edges of the focaccia begin to brown.
- Remove from the oven. Top with diced avocados and crumbled goat cheese. Cut into squares with a pizza slicer and serve.
Did you know the avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable? Learn more about the amazing avocado, including its rich history, cultural impact and tasty ways to eat this delicious superfood in guacamole as well as other dishes!
