FOCACCIA FOR A SUMMER MEAL

Last time I posted about New England clam chowder, Michele commented that the temperature was in the triple digits where she was. I could see how that would not make a hot bowl of chowder sound appealing, but it got me to thinking about a favorite meal I enjoyed growing up in California. It was a big shrimp salad with San Francisco sourdough bread. As I remember, the salad was made with iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and an oil and vinegar dressing. Now, I have become spoiled with things like arugula, spinach, avocados, and anything handy that sounds good. Of course, shrimp still sounds great, and I still love a good oil and vinegar dressing. I would probably use a tarragon vinegar . And, while I still love San Francisco sourdough, I love the sourdough I make fresh too. How would I change that up? By making focaccia.

To make sourdough focaccia, first make a sourdough sponge. You do this by taking roughly equal parts sourdough starter and hot water, mix well and add enough unbleached, all purpose flour to make a stiff batter. You have the right consistency when you start to clear the sides of the container as  you stir it. Let this sponge set in a warm place until it doubles in bulk, then it's ready to use. (You can make it and store it in the refrigerator overnight if you prefer.)

To make the focaccia dough, flour a board or pastry cloth and turn out the sponge on top of it. Sprinkle more flour on top of the sponge, along with a generous pinch of salt. Knead the dough, adding more flour until the dough is reasonably stiff and springs back when you poke it with a finger. Next, roll out the dough to a flat shape matching the pan you will be using to bake it (square, rectangle or round) about 1/4 inch thick. Coat the backing pan with a little olive oil and lay the dough inside, then work the edges of the dough up the sides of the container about 1/2 inch higher than the dough in the bottom of the pan. Drizzle olive oil on top, spreading it all over the surface of the dough, sprinkle on a little herbes de Provence, cover and let rise until it  doubles in bulk, about an hour. Before you put it in the oven, sprinkle on sea salt, add slices of onion and tomatoes, pressing them into the dough a bit, and grate some pecorino or Parmesan cheese on top. Bake about thirty minutes in a four hundred degree oven, or slide the pan onto a grill and close the cover to have a great outdoor dish with no heat added to the inside of your comfortable home. Now, what could be better?

I know Bobby Navarro, the protagonist of my mystery series loves steak and spicy southwestern food, and I've been trying to decide if he would ever have discovered the joy of focaccia. He does cook with sourdough, and I've known bikers who are gourmet cooks over a campfire. What do you think?