Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook by Teresa Giudice Read Free Book Online Page A

the center of the oven and preheat thoroughly to 425°F. (The oven must be good and hot, so give it at least 20 minutes.)
    6. Uncover the loaves. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut a shallow X in the top of the round loaf or a couple of diagonal slashes in the top of an oval or long loaf. Dust the tops of the loaves with flour. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F. Continue baking until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when you tap them on the bottoms with your knuckles, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing . . . if you can wait that long.

 
    Fabulicious Focaccia
     
    Makes 1 loaf
     
    This is my favorite bread because it’s so delicious and juicy! Unlike the Rustic Italian Loaf, you kind of make focaccia in two parts: first you make a batter; then when you add flour to it, it becomes more of a dough. Traditionally, focaccia bread only has olive oil, rosemary, and coarse salt on top. You can add a million different things, though: cheese, olives, sautéed onions, garlic . . .
     
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant or quick-rise yeast
1 cup cold tap water
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, as needed
1 ½ teaspoons plain or table salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher or other coarse salt, for topping
    1. To make the dough by hand: In a large mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup of the olive oil, the sugar, and the yeast with the cold water. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, stir in 2 cups of flour and the salt to make a batter. Stir in one direction until the batter is very elastic (if you pull up the spoon, the batter will stretch at least 6 inches before it breaks), at least 5 minutes, or 10 minutes if you want a great upper-body workout.
    Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that is too stiff to stir. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth, springy, and tacky to the touch, about 5 minutes. Do not add too much flour—as long as the dough isn’t sticking to your hands or the work surface, there is enough flour. Go to step 3.
     
     
    ***     Teresa’s Tip     ***
    Y ou need 2 teaspoons of yeast for this recipe, and those little individual envelopes contain 2¼ teaspoons. Measure out only 2 teaspoons and then just toss the extra. Of course, if you buy the yeast in a jar or in bulk, then just scoop out what you need.
     
     

     
    2. To make the dough with a heavy-duty stand mixer: In the bowl of the mixer, combine ¼ cup of the olive oil, the sugar, and the yeast with the cold water. Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit with the paddle attachment. With the machine on low speed, add 2 cups of flour and the salt. Mix on low speed until the dough is very elastic (if you turn off the machine and lift up the paddle, the batter will stretch at least 6 inches before it breaks), about 5 minutes.
    Gradually stir in enough of the flour to make a dough that comes together and does not stick to the bowl. Remove the paddle attachment and attach the dough hook. Knead the dough on medium speed, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is soft, springy, and tacky to the touch. Do not add too much flour—as long as it doesn’t stick to the bowl, it has enough flour.
    3. Generously oil a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Shape the dough into a ball. Add to the bowl and turn to coat with oil, leaving the dough smooth-side up.
    Cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place until the dough has doubled in volume, about 1 ½ hours.
    4. Lightly oil a 13 × 9-inch rimmed baking sheet. Turn out the dough onto the baking sheet. Using your hands, stretch the dough to fill the baking sheet. If the dough springs back too much, cover the dough with the damp kitchen towel and let rest for a few minutes, then try again. When the sheet is filled, cover the dough with