It’s hard to pick the best part of this springy Italian bread—the crispy, fried-in-olive-oil bottom or the dimpled top, studded with tender spring vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup warm water
- ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 4 teaspoons instant yeast
- ¾ cup warm water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing bowl
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 radishes, cut into ¼-inch-thick coins
- 3 spears asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Flaky sea salt, ground black pepper and dill sprigs
Instructions
Make the Starter: In a medium bowl stir together flour, water and yeast with a fork until just combined. Cover and let stand a room temperature overnight.
Make the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all of the starter with dough ingredients. Beat at low speed until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook attachment; beat at medium-low speed until dough is elastic, about 5 minutes. Drizzle a large bowl with olive oil. Add dough to bowl, turning to coat top. Cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Spray a half-sheet pan with cooking spray; drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with one teaspoon kosher salt. Turn dough out onto prepared pan; gently stretch dough until it reaches all four corners of the pan and is of an even thickness. Cover, and let stand a room temperature for 30 minutes.
Uncover dough. Using your fingertips, press into dough to create dimples, pressing to the bottom of the pan but being careful not to pierce the dough. Gently press radish slices and asparagus into dough. Cover, and let rise until puffy, about 1 hour more.
Preheat oven to 425°. Uncover dough; spritz with water. Drizzle top of dough with more olive oil; sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper. Bake until the top of the focaccia is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; top with fresh dill, and slice as desired.
