focaccia barese
oily, salty good flat bread from Bari in Puglia
makes 2 10” rounds
2 1/2 cups (350 g) all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (250 g) rimacinata (very fine durum wheat semolina, run coarse semolina through a food processor or order some rimacinata from Molini del Ponte in Castelvetrano)
1 1/2 cups (340 ml) total water
12 grams cake yeast which is 1/2 a cake (or follow the instructions on your yeast package)
1 heaping teaspoon (5 g) sugar
1 waxy potato boiled and smashed with a fork, circa 5 oz (150 g)
2 teaspoons (10 g) salt
1 lb (450 g) small tomatoes (outside of summer use conserved tomatoes or shrivel cherry tomatoes in a warm oven, 140C / 280F for 1- 2 hrs)
oregano
20 or so green olives
extra virgin olive oil

Put the water on to boil. Before it starts to boil use a few Tablespoons warm water to melt the yeast together with the sugar.
Using a mixer with the dough hook (or by hand in a big mixing bowl) add both flours, the smashed potato and most of the hot water (which has just boiled) and mix together for 1 minute. Add the yeast/water/sugar and mix 7 minutes.
Add the salt and the rest of the water (which has now cooled somewhat), raise speed and mix for 7 more minutes adding 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil at the very end.
With olive oil on your hands, divide the dough into two, fold the edges under to make two smooth balls of dough, place them on an oiled sheet pan, cover and let them rest in a warm place for two hours (or in the refrigerator overnight).
Preheat the oven to maximum temperature 480 F / 250 C or 500 F / 260 C.
Very generously oil the baking pans and your hands, using your fingers spread each ball of dough into a relatively even 10” round.
Top with tomatoes breaking them in half with your fingers so that the juice falls onto the dough. Press olives gently into the dough. Sprinkle with salt and with a lot of dried oregano. Drizzle very generously with extra virgin olive oil.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in a very hot, static oven until the bottom is golden, the edges are a bit black and the tomatoes just begin to look toasty. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

