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Roasted Vegetable Focaccia with Za'atar

Ingredients

For the focaccia:

  • 5 tablespoons 60g olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups 340g water, warm
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons 8g salt
  • 3 1/2 cups 420g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast

For the topping:

  • 1/2 large eggplant sliced into half moons (or several smaller eggplants, thinly sliced)
  • 1 red pepper seeded and cut into thin circles
  • 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup olives pitted and roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup feta crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 tablespoon za'atar plus extra if desired
  • 1-2 tablespoons ribboned fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Use non-stick vegetable oil spray or butter to lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons (25g) of the olive oil atop the spray; the spray keeps the bread from sticking, while the olive oil gives the bottom crust great flavour and a bit of crunch.
  2. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons (35g) of the olive oil with the rest of the dough ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.
  3. Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes — it should be quite puffy, but not fragile-looking.
  4. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine vegetables with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the za'atar, and toss to combine. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until soft. This can also be done on the bbq. Remove form the oven and allow to cool.
  5. Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger.
  6. Drizzle it lightly with olive oil, and top with the roasted vegetables. Add the feta and olives, and add some extra za'atar if desired.
  7. Bake the bread until it's golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
  8. Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Top with ribbons of fresh basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.