Portugal and Everything Else In Between...

First the dough is made...and allowed to rise... then it´s spread out... then the base is baked so the dough isn´t soggy, but slightly crunchy... then the ingredients are added to each individual´s personal tastes and into the oven it goes again to bake... and finally... Bon apetite!

recipe for Foccacia:

11 gr. granulated yeast /(port) fermento granulado
1 teaspoon of sugar /(port) 1 colher de chá de açucar
200 ml of hot water /(port) 200 ml de água quente
350 gr of flour / (port)350 g of farinha
1 teaspoon of salt / (port)1 colher de chá de sal
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil /(port) 6 colheres de sopa de azeite extra virgem

Preheat the oven to 230 Celsius. (or mark 7)
Sift together flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Mix in half the water and olive oil and keep mixing by hand and slowly adding the rest of the water and olive oil until you have a ball. Knead the dough for approximately 5 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Allow to rest and rise in a bowl covered with a cloth until it doubles in size. Knead it again and with the help of a roller, spread it out until you have a disk of approximately 30 cm diameter. I poke holes into the disk for the crunchier base. For pizza - bake it for approx. 10 minutes - then add the ingredients you like. Basic pizza ingredients is tomato, cheese and some oregano. The foccacia base is a type of bread, and for that purpose only - bake it for 20 minutes until golden.

(port)
Pre-aqueça o forno a 230 cel.
Peneire a farinha, fermento, sal e açucar junto. Misture metade da agua e azeite na mistura de farinha com a mão e vai deitando o resto da agua e azeite. Vai-se amassando approx. 5 min. até obter uma bola
elastica e lisa. Deixa repousar numa tigela tapada com um pano até a bola ficar o dobro de tamanho. Amassa-se de novo
, e com a ajuda de um rodo, estende a massa até obter um disco de +/- 30cm em diameter. Para ficar mais estalidiça, eu furo a massa com um garfo. Vai ao forno durante 10 minutes. Retira-se e põe os ingredientes desejados... e volta ao forno até o queijo derreter e a massa ficar dourada.



For proper pizza base -

11 gr. granulated yeast
150 ml of hot water
300 gr. flour
1 teaspoon salt.

Follow instructions as above.