Ingredients for a focaccia with a diameter of 28 cm180 g durum wheat flour120 g whole wheat flour
100 ml water1 potato (peeled and boiled)50 ml milk25 g brewer’s yeast1 tsp sugar salt½ onion1 bell pepper1 small aubergine (or half a large one)1 carrot1 zucchini100 g tomato2 peeled tomatoes4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil4 basil leaves
salt and pepper ……alternatively 1 jar of Guazzabuglio and a few fresh basil leaves1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 pinch of oregano
,
water
and salt
To make the dough: mash the potato with a fork, add the milk and mix well until it becomes creamy. In a glass, dissolve the brewer’s yeast in 50 ml of warm water with pinch of sugar (the temperature of the water must not be above 32 °C). Mix the two types of flour together in a large bowl. Heap the flour up and form a "well" in the centre, pour in the creamed potato and yeast and mix all the ingredients together thoroughly, then add a pinch of salt and the rest of the water. Take the dough out of the bowl, place it on a lightly floured pastry board (or on your work surface) and start kneading vigorously – thump it on the pastry board from time to time to incorporate air – until it becomes smooth and even. Shape it into a ball and put it in a bowl that has been brushed with a little olive oil; leave to rest, at room temperature, until the dough has doubled in volume.
In the meanwhile prepare the filling (if you use La Vialla’s Guazzabuglio you can take a rest and then carry on with the dough as described below): chop the onion and sauté it for a few minutes with 4 spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil, then add all the other vegetables, which you have previously diced. When they have browned a little, add the tomato passata, basil leaves and a pinch of salt, mix everything together well. Put the lid on the pan and cook the Guazzabuglio over a medium heat for roughly 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time to avoid it “sticking”.
Now take the nicely “swollen” dough out of the bowl and place it on a floured pastry board. Pull the edges outwards and then back inwards, folding them over on top. Rotate the dough by a quarter turn, repeat the operation and then leave it to rest under a glass dome, or a salad bowl, for another 30 minutes. After this time, divide the dough in half. Flatten one part out with your hands, or a rolling pin, lay it in a 28 cm round baking tin (greased with olive oil) and put the vegetables on top. Then flatten out the remaining part of the dough, lay it on top of the filling and “pinch” the edges together all the way around. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of water with 1 of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of oregano and a pinch of salt, and brush this “emulsion” over the focaccia. Leave to rest for a further 30 minutes.
Bake the focaccia in a preheated oven, at 210 °C, for approximately 20-25 minutes or until it is a nice golden colour. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes (take care, it can be "boiling" inside) before serving. It’s delicious as an appetizer, for a snack, for a picnic or during a journey.