Remember back in 2020 when you started making sourdough? It was going so well. You kept your starter in a jar in the fridge and were so good at remembering to feed it. Days turned to weeks, which turned into months. You stopped making bread, and your starter was abandoned in the fridge and eventually thrown out.
This vegan focaccia recipe kneads no starter, just a bit of instant yeast. We use kale and mushrooms to get our veggies in, but you can top your focaccia with anything you want.
Ingredients
6 cups bread flour or all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons instant yeast
1 Tablespoon agave (you can sub honey or even maple syrup)
½ cup olive oil
3 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon kosher salt + kosher salt to taste for sprinkling on the dough
2 Tablespoons dried herbs (optional)
1 bunch of kale, lightly steamed and chopped with stems removed
5 oz. sliced mixed mushrooms, stir-fried to release all the liquid inside
1 small leek, greens removed, sliced in half moons
10 cloves roasted garlic
Get Your Ingredients from Forty Acres Fresh Market
Order a Veggie Box and request kale, mushrooms, leeks, and garlic.
Check for the latest information on Forty Acres Fresh Market produce stands and popup markets.
Directions
This recipe fits perfectly in a 4.5 qt. Kitchen Aid stand mixer which is what we used.
In your stand mixer bowl combine 2 ½ cups of water, ¼ cup olive oil, the agave, and the yeast. Wisk together and let it sit until the yeast starts to show signs of life! If your yeast doesn't activate within 5 minutes your water may have been too hot, or your yeast is dead and you have to get some new yeast. You have to start over.
In a separate bowl mix your dried herbs and salt with your flour
Combine your flour mixture into your yeast mixture and let it sit for a few minutes until the flour starts absorbing the water.
With a dough hook in place start your mixer on low speed. Drizzle in water as needed until the dough starts to come together. You may not need the entire 3 cups of water and that is okay.
Mix on medium speed for about 7 minutes or until the dough comes together into a smooth ball.
Liberally coat the dough with olive oil, put in your mixing bowl, and cover with cling film or a tea towel and let rise until doubled in size Note: if you use a tea towel it will get oil stains
Punch down the dough and put it on a lined half sheet tray or into one 8"x8" and a 9"x13" pans for thicker bread.
Cover with cling film and let it rise
Punch the dough down and add your roasted garlic to the dough, smearing it like a paste as you go. Then add the rest of your veggies on top for the penultimate rise or approximately 15 minutes
Turn the oven on to 425
Drizzle olive oil over the entire bread, and sprinkle kosher salt on top
Dimple your dough with your fingers and wait 10 minutes before putting in the oven.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, rotate your pan, turn the temperature down to 400 and bake for another 20-25 minutes
The bread is done when it is golden brown all around and springs back when gently pressed by hand
