Focaccia Italiana with Meat, Mushrooms, and Roasted Garlic
Delicious fluffy italian style focaccia, topped with pulled asado meat, sauteed mushrooms and onion, and roasted garlic. Seriously the most incredible appetizer you have ever made at home!
Ingredients
Focaccia Italiana
- 2 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp instant or active yeast
- 1 TBSP sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablspoon water, room temperature or slightly warm
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- cooking spray or extra olive oil
Asado
- 1 kilo asado/short ribs, bone in
- 2 TBSP olive oil, plus 4 teaspoons divided
- 1 TBSP coarse salt
- 1 TBSP black pepper, coarse
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 4-6 sage leaves
- 2 heads garlic
Mushroom Topping
- 4 TBSP olive oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 4 large portobello mushrooms, or other type, sliced thinly(see photo)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Sauce
- 1/8 cup bbq sauce
- 3 TBSP water
Instructions
Focaccia Italiana
- Fit a stand mixer with dough hook and add all dough ingredients. Mix for one minute.Let rest for 5 minutes.Mix on medium speed for another 3 minutes. Dough will be sticky!
- Grease work surface with oil and grease a spatula. Use the spatula to scrape the dough out onto the counter. Grease your hands and stretch and fold the dough once from each direction:reach your hands under the front end of the dough, stretching it out towards you, and folding it back onto the top. Repeat fromt the back of the dough, pulling it outward and folding it back onto the top. Repeat from each side.
- Flip the dough over and tuck it into a ball. Place into a greased ziplock bag, choosing a large bag to allow room for the dough to rise. Seal and leave on the counter for same day baking or place immediately in the fridge for next day(or up to 3 days later)baking. Remove the dough from the fridge 90 minutes before you want to bake. Continue with instructions for same day baking.
SAME DAY BAKING
- To bake on the same day as making the dough, leave the dough on the counter in the bag for 2 hours, or 3 hours in the cold season.Cut the dough in half and shape each into a ball. Place on a baking sheet, cover, and let rest until the oven is preheated.
- Preheat oven to the highest setting(my oven gets to 300 celsius), with a baking steel or stone inside. (use a baking sheet turned upside down if you dont have one)Flour your work suface, and working one at a time, tap the ball of dough into a circle. Flour your hands and slide the backs under the dough, and use your thumbs to stretch the edges, turning the dough as you work. The edges should be thicker than the centre.
- Open the oven and gently slide the focaccia onto the baking stone or steel. Bake 5-7 minutes, until golden and puffed. Set aside or freeze(follow instructions in above post for freezing).
Meat
- Preheat oven to 340 F. Place asado on a sheet of parchment paper. Drizzel over 1 tablespoon olive oil and rub it in. Repeat on other side. Season each side with 1/2 Tabslpoon salt and pepper. Rub in. Move meat to the edge of the parchment and place thyme on top. Fold in the sides of the parchment and roll up the meat. Place the parchment wrapped meat on a big piece of foil and roll up tightly, then place in a baking pan.Slice tops off garlic, drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil each, and wrap in foil. Place next to the meat.
- Roast for 2 hours. Remove the garlic and return meat to oven for another 1-2 hours, until it shreds easily(check for doneness by piercing with a fork and twisting, should be very very soft.) You can assemble immediately or place meat in the fridge overnight.
Mushroom
- Heat oil in a skillet. Add onions and cook till translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook till softened and turning golden. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cook 1 minute and set aside.
Sauce
- In a saucepan, heat sauce and water and stir till just thickened.
Serve
- Brush focacccia with sauce. Slice or shred the asado and arrange in the centre of the bread. Top generously with mushroom topping. Finish with a brush of sauce. Squeeze out the roasted garlic and arrange on top. Sprinkle with green onion. Return the finished focaccia to the oven to warm for 5 minutes. Slice and eat!!
