If you’re not in Little Italy, is it Faux-caccia?

In a few weeks, the streets of Little Italy are going to fill with Torontonians and tourists alike, all hoping to take a bite out of the neighborhood.  Before the crowds gather for the feast and push us native Little Italians out of the way, try taking advantage of the College St. strip.  Recently, I discovered that one the neighborhoods favorite, dependable little bakeries sells huge bags or their pizza dough, raw, for a steal at $1.75—a surprise in this day at age, when homemade and non-processed tends to mean “lovingly overpriced.” 

So, veering away from the obvious, I thought the fresh dough would lend itself well to the perfect cocktail or midday snack:  focaccia 

I’ve made two versions here one red and one green, but feel free to experiment with the flavours and ingredients you like.   In addition to toppings, I’ve used one bag of fresh pizza dough from the local bakery, which, before rising is about the size of a large grapefruit.

Red Focaccia

Grape tomatoes
Sliced scallions
Artichoke hearts
Chevre cheese
Fresh basil 

Green Focaccia

Arugula
Brie
Caramelized onions 

Basic Focaccia

Fresh rosemary and roasted garlic.  Sometimes simple is best. 

Before you start baking, place your dough in a greased bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave in a warm corner of the house (by the warming oven, perhaps).  Once the oven is warm, (to 425 degrees), and the dough has risen in the bowl, let out your frustrations and give it a wallop, knocking some of the air out of it. Work it in, but only a little bit….the more you pull at and handle your dough, the tougher it gets.   

Flatten out your dough to a baking sheet sized rectangle on to a piece of floured parchment paper or a non-stick baking sheet. Before adding any ingredients to your flattened dough, make sure to brush the entire surface of the dough with olive oil.   Sprinkle with salt, and add your toppings, making sure to remember that your toppings will brown and get cripy, but only if they’re thinly sliced and tend to cook quickly.  My carmelized onions, for example, were done in advance.   

Making sure your oven rack is in the very middle of the oven, leave your focaccia to cook approximately 20 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven.  The focaccia is done when it’s golden brown and, if you tap the edges, sound hollow.  Now there’s your taste of Little Italy, minus the line-ups.