BBB Fall Recipe Swap…

blahblahbirds

The Fall Recipe Swap is back this week with some comfy cozy homemade bread. The holidays are here and what better way to kick it off with some warm Cranberry Focaccia bread. Ohhhh. . .yes please!!! Very festive looking and great for a Christmas brunch with a little honey butter on the side. I came across this recipe on one of my fav food/lifestyle blogs called Shutterbean. Tracy prepares amazing dishes that don’t disappoint, and her photos make you want to eat your computer screen. She used raisins in her bread, but in our household we love a dried cranberry. It is crisped around the edges and moist goodness inside, sweet from the cranberries, buttery, and completely warms your tummy as it goes down. Perfect Fall recipe!

blahblahbirds

Here’s the deets . . .

3 cup raisins (enter cranberries)
3 cups boiling water
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound 10 ounces (about 5 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine raisins with the boiling water; let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain fruit, reserving 2 cups of the soaking liquid; set fruit aside. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the soaking liquid. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, granulated sugar, yeast, salt, and cinnamon; mix just to combine. With mixer on low speed, add raisins and soaking liquid. Mix until the fruit is evenly distributed but the dough is still tacky, about 3 minutes.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead for 1 minute. Pour 1/2 cup olive oil onto a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet, coating the bottom completely. Place the dough on top of the oil, and use your hands to spread it out as much as possible without tearing (it doesn’t have to fit the pan). Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap, and continue to pat and press the dough toward the edges. Set pan in a warm place, and let rest, pressing out the dough every 10 minutes until it fills the pan, about 45 minutes. Let rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the floor of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Using your fingers press dimples into dough. Drizzle dough with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Set the baking sheet directly on the stone and bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until focaccia is deep golden brown on top and bottom, 35 to 45 minutes. Immediately slide the focaccia onto a cutting board to cool. Use a pizza wheel or a serrated knife to cut bread into triangles, and serve warm. Focaccia can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for 2 to 3 days.

***notes***

Keep an eye on the focaccia in the oven, it might take less than the called for time to bake. If you see that the focaccia is turning golden too quick, put a sheet of aluminum foil on top to prevent it from burning.