Blackberry Balsamic Focaccia Bread
This the snacky appetizer of my dreams. It's a great complement for a cheese board, or a complement to a fancy brunch. The focaccia is adapted from King Arthur, sized down to fit in a smaller pan and can be made in one day. The crunchy sugar at the end is a delight, but you can skip it if you would like to take this in a more savory direction.
Adapted from King Arthur Big and Bubbly Foccacia
2 1/4 cups (270 g) bread flour
1 tsp (6 g) salt
3/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp instant yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp olive oil
Coarse sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme
olive oil for topping and greasing pan
Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add water and olive oil, and stir together with a wooden spoon until a rough, shaggy dough forms. Cover bowl and set aside to let dough relax for about 15 minutes.
We're now going to fold the dough, which will help create those big bubbles! With wet hands, grab a small section of edge of the dough, and fold it into the center. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat, until you've done 8 folds. Once finished, flip the dough so the smooth side is up and the folded side is down. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes. Repeat this process 3 times for a total of 4 rounds of folding.
Let dough rise for 1 hour. This is a good time to make your jam.
Coat an 8x8 pan with a generous pour of olive oil. Gently transfer your bubbly dough, and carefully flip it so it's covered in oil. You want to avoid deflating too much. Cover and let rise for 1 - 2 hours, until dough is very jiggly and has mostly filled the pan.
Preheat oven to 475. Dollop your (cooled) jam evenly across the surface of the bread. With lightly oiled hands, you're going to dimple the dough with your fingertips, pressing the dough into the bottom of the pan. This will distribute the jam, creating nooks and crannies for it to run into. Top dough with a drizzle of olive oil and bake in oven for 15 - 18 minutes, until golden brown.
If using sugar, use your fingers to rub thyme leaves and sugar together to release flavor. When bread comes out, sprinkle sugar over the top. Let cool in pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.