What is Green Goddess?

Is Green Goddess a dressing? A dip? What about that viral Green Goddess Salad trend that was actually just...chopped cabbage?

Original Green Goddess Dressing

Green Goddess actually IS its own thing, basically bunches of green herbs blended into oblivion in a mayo and sour cream base. It is a salad dressing that doubles as a dip because of its thick consistency. In addition to the creamy base, classic ingredients for Green Goddess include chervil, chives, scallions, watercress, and tarragon, a soft, leafy summer herb that has a licorice flavor. Anchovies add an umami boost.

The original Green Goddess dressing dates back to 1920s San Francisco, California where a chef at the Palace Hotel created the dressing as a tribute to a play titled The Green Goddess. The dressing became a classic. 

Since then, the name "Green Goddess" has been adopted by any- and everyone to label any creamy, green mixture that can include anything from kale to spinach. In our case, we're adding the very green and very California avocado!

Avocado Green Goddess is Easier!

In this modern version, we're making a few edits partially for ease, partially for taste preference.

Avocado replaces traditional mayonnaise and sour cream in the original recipe, providing a rich, thick, yet lighter, silkier texture.

The original herb profile includes chervil, tarragon, and watercress. Chervil is not as easily accessible as some other herbs. Honestly, I don't know anyone who even knows what chervil tastes like (except me). Chervil is a smaller, frillier cousin of parsley, so most current recipes for Green Goddess, including mine, call for Italian flat leaf parsley.

Tarragon and watercress are also not as common to find in a regular grocery store as, say, basil and dill. And though I personally LOVE the black licorice flavor of tarragon, it can be a little intense or too unfamiliar for others. Everyone loves basil. 

Of course, if you have access to chervil, tarragon and watercress, or particularly like the flavors, you can add them into the mix according to the Ingredients Notes below.

What Ingredients You Need for Avocado Green Goddess

Refrigerator/Fresh Ingredients:

• avocado, 1 large, 6-7 ounces with seed and peel
• garlic, 1-2 cloves (I use 2!)
• green onion, 2 stalks 
• lemon, 1 juice, about 2 tablespoons
• fresh parsley, 1 cup packed leaves
• fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup 
• fresh dill, 2 tablespoons

Pantry/Dry Ingredients:

• olive oil, 2 tablespoons 
• sea salt, ½ teaspoon plus more to taste
• water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed for texture

What Kind of Avocados? California Avocados, of course!

We all know California for its sun, sand, and Hollywood stars, but did you know that California is also the leading state for agriculture in the United States? California grows one-third of the vegetables and two-thirds of the fruit and nuts that we get in the country. And among those fruits and vegetables? Avocado!

Fun Fact: Though the USDA classifies an avocado as a vegetable because of the way it's most commonly used and eaten, avocados are technically a fruit. Specifically it's a berry, of all things!

California-grown avocados are the best avocados and the Hass variety, which is the pear-shaped, dark greenish-black, pebbled skin variety most commonly available in grocery stores, happens to be born and bred right outside Los Angeles! (Yes, I will be making a pilgrimage to the site of the original tree at some point in my life, though the actual tree that is the mother of all Hass avocados has since passed.)

Where to get California Avocados

I am an enthusiastic supporter of local farmers' markets, so I highly recommend that if you live in California, you drop by your closest farmers' market and look for locally grown avocados when they're in season. California avocado season is spring, through the summer, until early fall.

But not all of us are lucky enough to live in the Golden State, and even if we do live in California, we're not necessarily near a farmers' market. Grocery stores carry California-grown avocados during their season. Just look for signs on avocado display tables or stickers on individual avocados that say "Grown in California." If your grocery store doesn't carry California avocados, ask someone!

Best Ways to Use Avocado

Oh, you have an avocado or two that are ready RIGHT NOW? I am all about eating an avocado straight up, but if you'd like some new ways to use avocado, try these recipes.

Speaking of California ...My annual agri-tour with my pals at California Grown was in Ventura County this past Spring. We met farmers and learned about crops that grow in that warm, sunny, seaside region like strawberries, citrus, and avocado.

Our visit to Kimball Avocado Ranch inspired this recipe for Avocado Green Goddess.

For a visual guide to the seasonality of key crops in California check out California Grown's Eat the Seasons chart. You can download and print it. And check out this article for more information and nerdy statistics on California-grown produce.

Best California Agritours

As a member of the content creator community for California Grown, I've gone on several trips to explore agricultural regions throughout the Golden State. Peep below to learn more: 

• Santa Cruz, CA with a recipe for California Endless Summer Rolls with Avocado and Cucumber
• Monterey, CA Agritour with Ocean Mist artichokes, Lakeside Organics greens, and Far West Fungi Mushrooms, with a recipe for How to Cook Lion's Mane Mushrooms
• San Luis Obispo, CA Agritour, featuring salad greens, brassicas, and all the berries, with a recipe for the best Kale Salad with Berries
• Central Valley, CA agritour with sweet potatoes, pomegranate, persimmons, dairy farms and cheese, olive oil, and Imperial Valley salad greens, with a recipe for Autumn Persimmon 'Caprese'
• San Joaquin Valley, CA agritour with dates, figs, prunes, raisins, pumpkins, and kiwi-yes kiwi! with a recipe for Sicilian-style Cauliflower Steaks with Raisins and Pistachios
• Santa Barbara, CA, a wine tasting guide and a recipe for classic Salade Niçoise
• Temecula, CA agritour with avocados, blueberries, and of course, wine, with recipes for Avocado Hummus and Blueberry Salad with Avocado

Additional Ingredients Notes and Resources for Avocado Green Goddess

• Garlic. Use 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, depending on the size and your personal taste preference for garlic. I use 2! You do not have to mince the garlic before adding it to the food processor.
• Green onions. Use both white and green parts of the green onions. The original Green Goddess uses chives, but green onions are generally easier to find in grocery stores. Plus, there's more to make with the rest of a bunch of green onions than a pack of chives (at least for me). If you have chives, though, use them! Because chives are milder, you will need about ¼ cup.
• Lemon. One medium size lemon will render about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. If your lemons are small, you may need 2.
• Parsley. I use Italian flat leaf parsley for all dishes. If you only have the curly parsley available to you, that works, since they get blended into the dressing.
• Olive Oil. California grows olives and produces olive oil! I use this $10-$15 grocery store olive oil as my everyday olive oil. 
• Salt. I use this brand of salt as my everyday cooking salt.
• Basil, dill, and all other fresh herbs and produce from my local Farmers' Market, or Whole Foods Market when I can't find what I need at the farmers' market.

Pro-tip: If you have a special affinity for or happen to have an abundance of certain herb, you can simply add or substitute to make a total of about 1½ cups of green herbs in the recipes, e.g. add tarragon, sub in more dill in place of some of the basil or parsley, replace some or all of the green onions with chives, etc.

How to Make Avocado Green Goddess

Technically, you could throw everything into a blender or food processor all at once and just let 'er rip. What you end up will be really good! But there are a few tiny tips and tricks that can take your Avocado Green Goddess from good to great.

Optional pre-step to level up: Let the chopped garlic clove and green onion sit in 2 tablespoons lemon juice for ~ 10 minutes. You can do this in a small bowl, or in the bottom of your food processor or blender. After 10 minutes, add them to the food processor or blender.

Add the avocado, 1 cup of parsley leaves, ¼ cup of basil, 2 tablespoons of dill, and ¾ teaspoon of salt to the food processor or blender. Blend until the avocado and herbs are well combined, though it won't be smooth yet. You will need to turn off the food processor every once in a while to push the herbs down the side of the bowl with a small spatula or spoon.

With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Stop the machine and taste for saltiness and add more salt if needed. Avocado Green Goddess should taste a little saltier than you're comfortable with since it will be used as a dressing or dip.

If the mixture is too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to the consistency you like.

Transfer the Avocado Green Goddess to a container for serving or storage. It will taste delicious immediately, but if you let the dressing sit and relax for about 30 minutes, the flavors will mellow out. I don't know the science behind this, it just works.

Avocado Green Goddess Can Be a Dip or a Salad Dressing

Right out of the food processor or blender, Avocado Green Goddess has a thick texture that makes it perfect as a dip for vegetables or spread for toast, sandwich or wrap.

You can also add water to thin it out and use it as a dressing for salad. Avocado Green Goddess Dressing still retains the creamy consistency, so it works best on sturdier salad greens like romaine lettuce and cabbage.

Is Avocado Green Goddess Healthy?

Yes! Avocado Green Goddess is super healthy! Depending on your health needs and dietary considerations, of course. Both avocado and olive oil provide a healthy dose of plant-based unsaturated fats, and of course, avocado also contains dietary fiber. All those fresh green herbs provide a whole slew of antioxidants.

(Avocado, olive oil, and herbs are all part of my personal Delicious Dozen list of anti-inflammatory ingredients!)

Health Benefits of Avocado*

One 50-gram serving of avocado, which is ⅓ of a medium sized avocado:

• provides 3 grams of dietary fiber
• has only 80 calories per serving
• is good source of monounsaturated fats
• is a good source of B and K vitamins

_{* nutritional information via California Avocados}

This recipe for Avocado Green Goddess as published, is:

• 100% plant-based, suitable for vegans
• vegetarian
• dairy-free
• gluten-free
• refined sugar-free

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Avocado Green Goddess Recipe

Everything you love about herb-packed Green Goddess, in a lighter, brighter California avocado base. It's your healthy obsession all summer.

Course Condiments, Dips/Spreads, Dressings, Sauce

Cuisine American, California, Mediterranean

Keyword anti-inflammatory, green goddess, herbs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1.5 cups

Calories 100kcal

Ingredients

• 1-2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 2 stalks green onion green and white part rough chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced about 2 tablespoons of juice
• 1 large California avocado chopped
• 1 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
• ¼ cup basil leaves only
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to thin out the consistency

Instructions

• Let the chopped garlic clove and green onion sit in 2 tablespoons lemon juice for ~ 10 minutes. You can do this in a small bowl, or in the bottom of your food processor or blender. After 10 minutes, add them to the food processor or blender.
• Add the avocado, 1 cup of parsley leaves, ¼ cup of basil, 2 tablespoons of dill, and ¾ teaspoon of salt to the food processor or blender. Blend until the avocado and herbs are well combined, though it won't be smooth yet. You will need turn off the food processor every once in while to push the herbs down the side of the bowl with a small spatula or spoon.
• With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Stop the machine and taste for saltiness and add more salt if needed. Avocado Green Goddess should taste a little saltier than you're comfortable with since it will be used as a dressing or dip.
• If the mixture is too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to the consistency you like.
• Transfer the Avocado Green Goddess to a container for serving or storage. It will be delicious immediately, but if you let the dressing sit and relax for about 30 minutes, the flavors will mellow out. I don't know the science behind this, it just works.

Notes

Store Avocado Green Goddess in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition information estimates are for 1 serving, which is ¼ cup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 100kcal | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 9.6g | Fiber: 1.2g

This post is sponsored by California Grown. All opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting our partners who keep The Delicious Life well fed! 

Best Green Herb-Packed Dressings, Dips, and Sauces

The post Avocado Green Goddess, Your New Healthy Obsession appeared first on The Delicious Life.

Because this Strawberry Cake is something I spontaneously decide to make on some random summer afternoon (usually as a way to procrastinate, surprise, surprise), I want to be able to bake it right away without having to search for specialty ingredients like dehydrated strawberries, haul out special tools like a stand mixer, or use multi-step techniques like pureeing and cooking strawberries.

This recipe is simple and uses everyday ingredients, perfect for people like me who don't really consider themselves bakers.

What Ingredients You Need for Simple Strawberry Cake

I almost always have flour in the freezer as well as sugar because it doesn't go bad. Of course, I always have olive oil, and eggs. And of course, in the summer, there is never a shortage of perfect, ripe strawberries!

Dry/pantry ingredients:

• All-purpose flour, 2 cups
• Sugar, 1 cup
• Olive oil, ½ cup
• Vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons
• Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
• Coarse sea salt, or kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon

Fresh/refrigerator ingredients:

• Eggs, 2
• Strawberries, 1 pound divided into 2 cups hulled and mashed for cake, the rest sliced for topping

If you happen to have fresh basil or mint already hand or even better, from your own garden, they're perfect as optional garnishes along with the fresh strawberries on top!

How to Make Simple Strawberry Cake

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Line a 9-inch round or 8x8 square cake pan with parchment paper, spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

If you haven't already, mash 2 cups strawberries with a potato masher or large sturdy fork.

Beat 1 cup sugar and 2 large eggs until the mixture is pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in ½ cup olive oil and continue beating the mixture. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

In a large sieve over the bowl with the liquid ingredients, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt. Sift the dry ingredients directly onto the liquid ingredients. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients until just combined.

Add the mashed strawberries and gently fold in.

Pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan. Gently tap the pan on the countertop to pop any large air bubbles.

Dust cake with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream if using, and garnish with fresh strawberries and herbs.

Best Strawberry Recipes

When strawberries are overflowing at the market, don't be afraid to grab as many as you can! Contrary to popular belief, strawberries CAN keep fresh for a long time at home if you treat them the right way!

And here are the best recipes for all those strawberries:

Tools and Equipment for Strawberry Cake

There isn't any special tool or piece of equipment required for this easy Strawberry Cake, and in fact, I highly encourage you to skip hauling out heavy stand mixers, or even a hand mixer for this. However, that doesn't mean there are a couple of things that might make this cake easier than it already is to get from pantry to plate.

• 9-inch round springform pan. The recipe here specifies a 9-inch springform pan and it's the one I used because that's the type of pan I have that's the right volume. You can absolutely use a regular round cake pan with minimum 2-inch high sides that's well-greased and lined with parchment paper to make removal easy. You can also use other shaped pans, see below in the FAQ.
• Parchment paper to release the cake easily
• Produce wash to help dissolve the natural waxes on the outside of the strawberries
• Glass mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Sifter

Pro Tips, Tricks, and Technique FAQs

• Can you use a Different SHAPE Pan? Yes! You can bake the cake in an 8x8-inch square pan, which has about the same volume as a 9-inch round pan!
• Can You Use a Different SIZE Cake Pan to Bake the Cake? Yes! Because this easy Strawberry Cake is so forgiving, you can use slightly different sized and shaped pans. A slightly smaller 8-inch round cake pan will yield a taller cake, and needs to bake for a longer time. Check the cake at 40 minutes.
• Can You Bake the Cake in a Loaf Pan? Yes! In an 8-inch loaf pan, bake the cake for a little longer. The cake will have a slightly deeper golden "crust" because it's in the oven for longer, but it's still cake.

Ingredients Substitutions and FAQs

The recipe for this cake is kiiinda "fool-proof" because it is very forgiving in terms of ingredients and measurement precision. Here are the pro-tips:

• Different Type of Flour? You can use any form of wheat flour for Strawberry Cake, and my guess is that you most certainly have all-purpose flour. This brand of organic, unbleached, all-purpose flour is the one I use. I have made this cake with half whole wheat flour and as expected, it works perfectly well. For gluten-free flours... glad you asked! See next...
• Can You Make it Gluten-free? Yes! Two baking-ready gluten-free flours my gluten-free experts friends have recommended are Measure-for-Measure by King Arthur and Pamela's, both of which you can substitute into recipes 1:1.
• Can You Make it Vegan? If you replace the eggs with an appropriate plant-based egg substitute, the cake will be vegan. That being said...
• Can you Replace the Eggs? I have not yet personally made this Strawberry Cake with an egg substitute, either store-bought or something like ground flaxseeds. If you do, please let me know how it turns out!
• Can You Substitute Out the Olive Oil? Yes! You can use any generally neutral flavored oil like avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. You also use ½ cup of melted butter, which is 1 stick in the US, and the cake will generally have the same texture, with a buttery flavor, but may taste a little drier. Oil is what keeps this cake from drying out.

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Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe

A dead-simple Strawberry Cake that's subtly sweet that can be served as an afternoon snack cake, or dressed up with a dusting of powdered sugar and topped with fresh strawberries to serve as dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, olive oil, strawberries

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 295kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups strawberries mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Optional For Serving:

• confectioner's sugar for dusting
• 2 cups strawberries, quartered
• fresh mint or basil leaves

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Line a 9-inch round or 8x8 square cake pan with parchment paper, spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
• If you haven't already, mash 2 cups strawberries with a potato masher or large sturdy fork.
• Beat 1 cup sugar and 2 large eggs until the mixture is pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in ½ cup olive oil and continue beating the mixture. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• In a large sieve over the bowl with the liquid ingredients, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt. Sift the dry ingredients directly onto the liquid ingredients. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients until just combined.
• Add the mashed strawberries and gently fold in.
• Pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan. Gently tap the pan on the countertop to pop any large air bubbles.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even color. Start testing the cake at 25 minutes. The cake is done when it is golden brown, springs back when touched, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool briefly in the pan, then pull the cake out onto a rack to continue cooling for at least 20 minutes.
• Dust cake with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh strawberries and herbs.

Notes

Leftover Strawberry Cake without frosting and fresh starwberries can be stored, covered, on the countertop for a day. Past a day, place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 295kcal | Protein: 4.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Fiber: 1.5g

The post Strawberry Cake, Super Simple for People Who Don't Bake appeared first on The Delicious Life.

Ingredients You Need for Sfincione Focaccia

For the Focaccia in a 9x13-inch pan for a flatter, rectangle loaf, or 9x9-inch for a taller square loaf, or 2 rounds in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (this is the same recipe for the easy Focaccia Bread for people who don't bake I make all the time):

• Active dry yeast, 1 ¼-ounce package, ~7 grams
• Warm water, 2 tablespoons between 80-100³F
• Water, 2 cups ~470 grams
• Olive oil 1 tablespoon ~15 grams, plus more for the pan and drizzling
• All-purpose flour 4 cups ~560 grams
• Sea salt 2 teaspoons ~10 grams
• Flaky sea salt for topping

Flaky sea salt and fresh herbs optional for topping plain focaccia (without the Pissaladiere-style toppings below).

For the Sfincione Focaccia Pizza topping:

• Onions 2-3 large yellow or white, sliced ¼-inch thick and lightly caramelized
• Tomato sauce, 3 cups
• Anchovies, 12-14 fillets
• Olives, 1 cup or capers, optional
• Mozzarella cheese, 2 cups shredded
• Parmesan cheese, ½ cup grated
• Oregano, 2 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried
• Sea salt

Ingredients Notes and Resources for Focaccia Bread as Pizza Base

Active Dry Yeast. Active dry yeast is a dehydrated form of baker's yeast, sold as dehydrated granules in small standardized pre-measured packets or larger jars. I use packets because I don't bake often enough to justify buying whole jars. Red Star and Fleischmann's are available in packets and have been reliable for me. SAF and Bob's Red Mill are well-known among bread bakers for consistent performance and strong fermentation (bubbliness!), though I have seen them only in larger bags or jars.

Water. Water is normally not an ingredient that gets called out, but for bread, it does deserve some attention for the temperature. To dissolve the yeast in water and check for activity, it is helpful for the water to be 80°-100°F. Nothing bad will happen if the water is a little too cold, it will just take longer, but if the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

Flour. I use Bob's Red Mill organic all-purpose white flour.

Olive Oil. The olive oil here is more for consistency and texture, not necessarily for strong flavor, so use an everyday olive oil like California Olive Ranch.

Salt. Use a coarse sea salt or kosher salt. I use this sea salt or this kosher salt. If you only have regular table salt, which is a very fine grind, use half the amount in the dough, and add more of the flaky sea salt as the topping.

Flaky sea salt. These are the big visible flakes of salt that have a satisfying crunch when you bite into them. This is the only brand I use. Costco has large tubs of this for a greta price!

For Sfincione-style Focaccia:

Olives. I like Castelveltrano olives, which are big, bright green olives that are milder in flavor than some of the others.

Anchovies. Anchovies are a hallmark of Sfincione. Use the highest quality anchovies you can afford. I like this brand, especially since they're packaged in jars that you can close and put back in the fridge. Recently, I've tried these anchovies in a tin which are good, too. 

What Size/Type of Pan Do You Use for Sfincione Focaccia Bread?

This recipe for Sfincione Focaccia bakes in a 9x13 rectangular baking pan.

You can also use a 9x9 square baking pan for a slightly taller bread.

How to Make Sfincione Focaccia

Make Focaccia Bread Dough with Big Airy Bubbles First

In a bowl, combine ¼-ounce package active dry yeast and 2 tablespoons warm water, stir to dissolve and let sit until you see it foaming, about 15 minutes. If it doesn't bubble, your yeast is not alive and you need to start with new yeast.

Once the yeast has started to bubble, add all the remaining 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 4 cups flour, and 2 teaspoons sea salt to the bowl and stir until a shaggy, sticky dough forms in the bowl, about 15-20 turns with a spoon or 2 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and set aside in a warm-ish part of your kitchen for 30 minutes.

Pro-tip: If your room temperature is particularly cool/cold, turn on the light in your oven (but not the heat) and place the bowl inside with the door closed. The oven light will warm the small space enough for your dough.

After 30 minutes of resting, uncover the dough (save the plastic wrap!). The dough will have expanded slightly. Dip your hands in water to keep the dough from sticking. Gently pick up the far end of the dough out of the bowl doing so slowly and gently to avoid tearing the dough. Fold the dough over itself toward you. Turn the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat the stretch and fold of the dough. Turn the bowl, stretch, and fold the dough two more times for a total of four folds. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.

Repeat the stretch and fold process three more times at 30-minute intervals, for a total of four folds. From the first to last stretch-and-fold, you will have spent 1½ hours.

Rise and Ferment ~18-48 hours

Lightly slick the top of the dough with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, using your hands to brush the oil over the entire surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge overnight, for at least 18 hours, and up to 48 hours.

Or, if you want a quicker result, you can skip the cold rise/fermentation in the fridge completely. Instead, you can simply allow the dough to sit one last time at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.

Make

Bake Sfincione ~ 2-4 hours final rise, 20 min to bake

Remove bowl from refrigerator. The Focaccia dough should have big, airy bubbles! Do 1 full set of four stretches and folds on the dough in the bowl. It's ok if some of the bubbles pop.

Drizzle baking pan with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, and brush to evenly cover the entire surface.

Slide the dough out into the oiled pan. It will not fill the pan yet. That's ok. Cover the pan and set aside at room temeprature for at least 2 hours, up to 4 hours. The dough will come to room temperature, spread and rise.

After 2-4 hours, pre-heat the oven to 450°F.

Uncover the pan. Coat your hands with olive oil and stretch the dough gently toward the edges of the pan without tearing the dough. The dough may not reach all the way to the edges. That's ok.

Build Sfincione Focaccia Pizza

Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Press your fingertips straight down through the top surface of the dough to the bottom of the pan to create dimples all over.

Add Topping: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and press optional toppings that are coated with a little olive oil into the dough, if using.

Sfincione Focaccia-style: If you are making it pissaladière style, cover the top of the focaccia with caramelized onions, dot with olives pressing the olives firmly into the dough, and then evenly scatter anchovy fillets over top.

Bake the Focaccia Bread for 20-25 minutes until deeply golden brown.

Remove baked Focaccia Bread from the oven. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out of pan and continue to cool for at least another 10 minutes before cutting.

Tools and Equipment You Need

As I always say, you don't need any special equipment to make almost any recipe. However, that's not to say there are a couple of gadgets and tools that might make it a LOT easier to get Sfincione Pizza from your pantry to plate.

• 9x13 Baking Pan. This will make a large rectangle focaccia bread.
• 9x9 Square Baking Pan. If you bake in a 9x9 square pan, your focaccia bread will be a little taller.
• Glass Mixing Bowl. You need a medium to large mixing bowl. I like glass because it's heavy, so it stays in place when you pull the dough from it during the stretch-and-fold process. Also, you can see the bubbles in the dough from the side, so satisfying!
• Angled Liquid Measuring Cups.
• Measuring Cups.
• Measuring Spoons
• Cast Iron Skillet. I have had this enamel-covered 10-inch cast iron skillet for years and I have never used anything else because I love it.

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Focaccia Bread Pizza, with Sfincione-style options

You want the satisfaction of getting those big airy bubbles in focaccia, then this is the way, with the optional (not optional!) topping it with caramlized onions, olives and anchovies to make it Mediterranean pissaladiere style.

Course breads, Snacks

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword focaccia, pissaladiere, pizza

Prep Time 22 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 195kcal

Ingredients

For the Focaccia Bread

• 1 ¼-ounce package active dry yeast ~ 2¼ teaspoons or 7 grams
• ¼ cup warm water "sunny day" warm, between 80-100³F
• 1¾ cups water total water with above, ~ 470 grams
• 1 tablespoon olive oil ~ 15 grams, plus more for the pan and drizzling
• 4 cups all-purpose flour fluffed with a fork, and leveled in measuring cup ~ 560 grams
• 2 teaspoons sea salt ~ 10 grams

For the Topping

• 2-3 large yellow or white onions sliced ¼-inch thick and lightly caramelized
• 1 cup Castelveltrano olives pitted, or any briny type you like
• 12-14 fillets anchovies from one tin
• sea salt

Instructions

Prepare Focaccia Base ~ 35 minutes

• In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, combine ¼-ounce package active dry yeast and 2 tablespoons warm water, stir to dissolve and let sit until you see it foaming, about 15 minutes. If it doesn't bubble, your yeast is not alive and you need to start with new yeast.
• Once the yeast has started to bubble, add all the remaining 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cups flour, and 2 teaspoons sea salt to the bowl and stir until a shaggy, sticky dough forms in the bowl, about 15-20 turns with a spoon or 2 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and set aside in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Stretch and Fold Series, ~ 1½ hours

• After 30 minutes of resting, uncover the dough; save the plastic wrap. The dough will have expanded slightly. Dip your hands in water to keep the dough from sticking. Gently pick up the far end of the dough out of the bowl doing so slowly and gently to avoid tearing the dough. Fold the dough over itself toward you. Turn the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat the stretch and fold of the dough. Turn the bowl, stretch, and fold the dough two more times for a total of four folds. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Repeat the stretch and fold process 3 more times at 30-minute intervals, for a total of 4 folds. From the first to last stretch-and-fold, you will have spent 1½ hours.

Rise and Ferment ~18-48 hours

• Lightly slick the top of the dough with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge overnight, for at least 18 hours, and up to 48 hours.
• Or, if you want a quicker result, you can skip the cold rise/fermentation in the fridge completely. Instead, you can simply allow the dough to sit one last time at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes, then continue with the next step.

Final Rise Before Baking ~ 2½ -4½ hours

• Remove bowl from refrigerator. Do 1 full set of four stretches and folds on the dough in the bowl.
• Drizzle 9x13 pan with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, and brush to evenly cover the entire surface.
• Slide the dough out into the oiled pan. It will not fill the pan yet. That's ok. Cover the pan and set aside for at least 2 hours, up to 4 hours. The dough will come to room temperature, spread and rise.

Add Toppings and Bake

• After 2-4 hours, pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
• Uncover the pan. Coat your hands with olive oil and stretch the dough gently toward the edges of the pan without tearing the dough. The dough may not reach all the way to the edges. That's ok.
• Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Press your fingertips straight down through the top surface of the dough to the bottom of the pan to create dimples all over. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chopped herbs that are coated with a little olive oil if using.
• Pissaladière-style: If you are making it pissaladière style, cover the top of the focaccia with caramelized onions, dot with olives pressing the olives firmly into the dough, and then evenly scatter anchovy fillets over top.
• Bake the Focaccia Bread for 20-25 minutes until deeply golden brown.
• Remove baked Focaccia Bread from the oven. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out of pan and continue to cool for at least another 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Store any leftover Focaccia bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze the bread for up to 3 months.

Nutrition information estimates based on 1 serving of Focaccia Bread only, which is 1/10 of bread.

For Focaccia Bread with Pissaladière style toppings, per serving: 307 calories, 10.5 grams protein, 6.8 grames fat, 2.5 grams fiber.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 195kcal | Protein: 5.8g | Fat: 1.4g | Fiber: 1.3g

Food for Afterthoughts

There are some things life that, no matter how bad it is, can never really be bad. Sure, there will always be a range of quality, but even at the furthest end on the spectrum from "Awesome!" it's still not bad.

For guys, this statement applies to sex. And pizza. Sex and pizza can never be bad. And you know what? For guys, it pretty much seems to apply to anything.

For girls, this applies to...nothing.

Even if it, whatever "it" is, is off the charts, above and beyond holy effin' the best ever, most incredible awesome, leaves you in an uncontrollable quivering, shivering state of tears and laughter, girls will find something wrong with it. Baby, that was...incredible. *sigh*

But now my mascara is running, dammit.

Maybe that's a slight exaggeration about girls, because there are a few things that I have found can never really be bad. (Believe it or not, I am a girl).

Macaroni & cheese.

Ramen.

French fries.

You can still have macaroni and cheese out of the blue box made with milk, margarine and NASA nuclear powdered cheese, and it still won't be horrible. Obviously, on the quality scale, it doesn't measure up to, say, Tyler Florence whipping up his Ultimate in your kitchen wearing nothing but jeans and an apron, but it's still macaroni. And cheese. If there's a bowl of macaroni and cheese on the table, no one pushes it away.

Oh, alright. Pizza is starting to grow on me. Pizza is never so bad that I won't eat it.

But be not fooled. Just because it looks, smells, and sounds like pizza, doesn't mean it's a pizza. And that means, yes indeed, it can be bad.

A calzone can blow your mind.

A calzone can also suck (and I don't mean "suck" in a good way).

We were at an old standby for an easy, local, cheap dinner - Frankie and Johnnie's for pizza - less than a three-minute walk from my house, or a five minute *blush* drive. Yes. Yes! Yes, I have driven there, and amazingly, it takes longer to drive the two blocks than two walk it, due to the inevitable around-the-block search for a vacant meter that ends up in a parking spot that is further away from the restaurant than my house is. But don't worry, I've wised up. With gas prices now, I don't drive unless it's at least four blocks away.

when she's crazy, it's a calzone

For some reason, I was feeling crazy that night. That's right. Crazy. No, make that wild and crazy. Crazy is ordering a slice of mushroom pizza instead of cheese. Maybe even going so far as barbecue chicken pizza instead of cheese. As crazy as those are, they are still pizza and I was assured that they wouldn't be bad. There's no real risk there. But I was wild and crazy, so instead of ordering the usual single slice of cheese pizza that I blaspheme with so much garlic powder, dried oregano, crushed red pepper and salt that it is rendered utterly unidentifiable as pizza, rather a mobile mise en place for a pasta recipe, I ordered a calzone. Ha! I went completely bonkers, threw all spreadsheets to the wind, grabbed Risk by the hand, jaywalked across the street of culinary delights, and ordered a calzone!

It was bad.

Right. I said "suck" three paragraphs ago.

The calzone sucked.

A calzone is, in essence, a pizza that has folded over onto itself, so I would imagine that a calzone from Frankie & Johnnie's would taste roughly about the same as a folded slice of their pizza - thin, crisp crust with a good number of charred spots, an evenly sweet/spicy balanced sauce, and of course, just enough to cheese to weight down the crust, but not slip off in a gooey mess.

the slouchy crescent, for spring '06

The calzone was shaped into a plump crescent with deep folds where steam and yeast lost the battle to doughy weight. Normally, in this Super-Biggie-Me world we live in, its size would not merit any such special notice, but it was as large as, and looked like, a handbag - not a pretty, glittery, little evening clutch; we're talking about the oversized carry-all that glamour moms schlepp around Bloomingdale's with them that is basically a mobile Sephora/Sav-on/home-office.

The calzone was enormous size-wise, and strangely, it felt even heavier. Not only was it a mass of dough, but whatever substances were gurgling away inside the hermetically sealed crust were undergoing some sort of subatomic reaction that resulted in compounds heavier than the as-of-yet undiscovered, unnamed element 118 aka ununoctium. It was dense.

I cut the calzone open using Frankie & Johnnie's-provided plastic knife, which was completely insufficient for cutting through the crust. Around the edges where the dough had been folded over multiple times to create the seal, the crust was thicker than the skin on your Uncle Claude's corny, callused heel. The knife made it though, and splitting the two halves open, the inner blobular beast was unleashed. Rivers of runny ricotta cheese flooded out first all over the cardboard. Melted mozzarella thundered behind, oozing and spreading like an epidemic, cheese solids slowly separating from oil that gurgled like lava.

unleash the blobular beast

barely tamed by sauce

I tried to use the flat side of the knife as a dam, to hold it back, to push some of it back into its calzone cavern, but there was too much. The cheese was
overwhelming in size and speed. My little plastic knife couldn't stand up to the force. I never thought I'd be faced with a moment when I'd have to say, there was too much cheese.

The crust was thick, heavy, and though it was dry, it was strangely chewy and doughy, as if it needed at least another 15 minutes in the oven. The accompanying thin, watery marinara could not have been the same deliciously spicy sauce that Frankie and Johnnie use on their pizzas. However, taste was the least of the problems - two tiny plastic tubs was hardly enough to lubricate a calzone of that size. I would need one little tub for every mouthful of that doughy dryness. Certainly, a bite with the cheese made it easier to get the mass of dough down my throat, but as much cheese as seemed to have flooded out, very little was actually edible once it had undergone cold fusion with the cardboard underneath.

I didn't even come close to finishing. In fact, I didn't even save the leftovers.

Pizza is like sex...for a guy. It can never be bad.

Calzones are like sex...for a girl. It can be bad. And when it's bad, I wouldn't care if I never ate another calzone again.

For a month.

*pause*

Alright, a week.

*blink blink*

Fine! Three days, okay? And that's my final offer!

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