Double-Cheese Focaccia with
Tomato Sauce
MAKES ONE 9 BY 13-INCH FOCACCIA
This focaccia is very much like what New Yorkers call either a Grandma pizza or a Sicilian pizza. It’s cheesy and saucy and will bring back fond memories if you grew up with those neighborhood classics. One of its unique characteristics is the use of cheese both in the dough and as a topping. However, if you aren’t a cheese lover, you can make the dough without the cheese and forgo the cheese on top. This makes it a marinara focaccia, which is also quite delicious.
Tomato Sauce
¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) tomato puree or tomato sauce
¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Dough
2 cups (8 oz / 227 g) almond flour
1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) sunflower seed flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon salt
4 egg whites (5 oz / 142 g), at room temperature
1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) chicken broth or vegetable broth
¾ cup (3 oz / 85 g) grated mozzarella, fontina, or Monterey Jack cheese, plus ¾ cup for topping
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then mist the bottom and sides with spray oil (preferably olive oil cooking spray).
To make the sauce, combine the tomato puree, olive oil, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Taste and add salt as needed; if using tomato puree you will probably need as much as ½ teaspoon, but if using tomato sauce you may not need any salt, depending on the brand.
To make the dough, combine the almond flour, sunflower seed flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until well mixed.
Put the egg whites in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed (or a strong arm with a sturdy whisk—and good endurance), beat the eggs for 3 to 5 minutes, until fairly stiff peaks form.
Add the broth to the flour mixture and stir to make a smooth batter. Fold in ¾ cup of the cheese, then gently fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula, deflating the egg whites as little as possible to make a smooth, sticky dough that is slightly fluffy (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).
To assemble and bake the focaccia, gently transfer the dough to the prepared pan, then spread it in an even layer with a spatula. Oil your fingertips, then dimple the dough all over the top. Spread the sauce evenly over the surface.
Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until springy when pressed in the center. During the last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup cheese over the top.
Let the focaccia cool for about 5 minutes before removing it from the pan, cutting it into portions, and serving.
Focaccia with Herbed Tapenade
MAKES ONE 9 BY 13-INCH FOCACCIA
A fun and easy way to concoct an elaborate topping is to incorporate a prepared ingredient, such as tapenade. Tapenade is traditionally a spread made from olive oil and minced olives, capers, and even anchovies, but in recent years the term has been stretched to embrace a wide variety of ingredients prepared in the classic style. Sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, and artichoke hearts are three popular versions. There are many recipes for these on the Internet, but there’s no reason you can’t buy a high-quality brand, such as Bella Cucina or Trader Joe’s, and save yourself some work. If you’d like to add cheese to the toppings, see
Other Pizza and Focaccia Toppings
for tips on when to add it.
Herbed Tapenade Topping
½ cup artichoke tapenade or other commercial tapenade, or to taste
¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
Dough
2 cups (8 oz / 227 g) almond flour
1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) golden or brown flaxseed meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) unsweetened soy milk or other milk
⅛ teaspoon liquid stevia
4 egg whites (5 oz / 142 g), at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then mist the bottom and sides with spray oil (preferably olive oil cooking spray).
To make the topping, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
To make the dough, combine the almond flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until well mixed. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the milk and liquid stevia together.
Put the egg whites in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed (or a strong arm with a sturdy whisk—and good endurance), beat the eggs for 3 to 5 minutes, until fairly stiff peaks form.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to make a smooth batter. Gently fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula, deflating the egg whites as little as possible to make a smooth, sticky dough that is slightly fluffy (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).
To assemble and bake the focaccia, gently transfer the dough to the prepared pan, then spread it in an even layer with a spatula. Oil your fingertips, then dimple the dough all over the top. Spread the topping evenly over the surface.
Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until springy when pressed in the center.
Let the focaccia cool for about 5 minutes before removing it from the pan, cutting it into portions, and serving.
Chapter Three
CRACKERS, BREADSTICKS, AND PRETZELS
This chapter consists of three very similar and basic doughs tweaked into a multitude of savory treats by adding a variety of flavorful ingredients and seasonings. As you will see once you make a few of these recipes, they are extremely versatile. Soon you’ll be developing your own unique variations using different combinations of seed and nut flours and different flavorings.
In all of their endless variations, these crispy baked delights can be eaten in a multitude of ways: with dips and spreads, alongside soups or salads, with a main course, or as appetizers—either alone or with accompaniments. For breadsticks, a fun idea is serving them with marinara sauce or a flavored herb oil for dipping. All of the items in this chapter are also a tasty and healthy alternative to potato chips, corn chips, and other commercial snack foods, so be sure to bake them up regularly and keep them on hand for those times when you need a little nibble.
These crackers are fine without an egg wash, but you can certainly use an egg wash (as described in the recipe for
Simple Crackers
) to add a sheen or help toppings adhere; however, egg replacer can’t be used for the egg wash, so forgo that step if you don’t want to use eggs.
For optimum crispness, let crackers cool completely before serving them. Breadsticks and pretzels may be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. You can store crackers and pretzels in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 1 week. Just make sure they are completely cooled before sealing in the airtight container.
One final note: As a reminder, when using commercially ground pecan
flour (or pecan meal) instead of home-ground pecan flour, you may have to increase the amount of liquid if the dough doesn’t come together to make a thick, sticky batter. You can add water to the batter, 1 teaspoon at a time, or, if the dough is very dry and crumbly, you can use egg or egg whites for the additional liquid. If you need to adjust the liquid for crackers, we suggest adding either a whole egg or an ounce or two of egg whites (a large egg has about 1 ounce to 1¼ ounces of egg white, or you can measure it from a carton). Add only enough to get the job done, and only if needed. For breadsticks and any recipes that call for liquids such as milk or water, simply add more liquid, if needed, up to ¼ cup of additional liquid per cup of pecan flour.
Simple Crackers
MAKES 36 TO 42 TWO-INCH ROUND CRACKERS
These are the most versatile crackers in this chapter. They can be served alongside almost any savory dish or be topped with almost anything, or you can simply eat them on their own. They have an enticing buttery flavor and a texture that crumbles and melts in your mouth. As you’ll see in the sidebar on
Cracker Variations
, the potential variations are endless.
3 cups (12 oz / 340 g) almond flour
1 tablespoon Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or 1½ teaspoons New Roots Stevia Sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg (1.75 oz / 50 g)
¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) salted butter or margarine, melted
Egg Wash (optional)
1 egg (1.75 oz / 50 g)
2 tablespoons water
Position 2 racks in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, then lightly mist the surfaces with spray oil.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the egg and butter together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. The dough will be stiff. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and form the dough into a ball; if it’s too dry to form a ball, stir in a bit of water, 1 teaspoon at a time, just until the dough comes together and all of the loose flour is incorporated, to make a stiff, playdough-like dough (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).
Mist 2 pieces of parchment paper or 2 silicone mats with spray oil. Place the dough between the oiled surfaces, then use a rolling pin to roll and flatten the dough until slightly thinner than ¼ inch.
Put a bit of vegetable oil in a saucer or small, shallow dish. Dip a 2-inch round biscuit cutter into the oil to coat the cutting edge. Gently peel back the top piece of parchment or silicone mat and cut the crackers.
Peel the cut pieces off the parchment with either your hands or a small metal spatula and transfer them to the prepared pans. They won’t spread, so you can position them fairly close to each other, nearly touching. Gather any scraps, roll them out, and cut more crackers until all of the dough has been used.
Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together until frothy, then brush the mixture over the crackers. (If adding toppings, as suggested in the sidebar on
Cracker Variations
, sprinkle them over the crackers now.)
