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Fiddlehead Focaccia

Prep Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 37 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fresh fiddleheads washed and trimmed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 clove garlic sliced thin
  • 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1 3/4 cups warm water
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
  • 2 1/2-3 cups all purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Fill a large saucepan with water and place over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and add the fiddleheads. Boil for 5 minutes or until just tender. Plunge the fiddleheads into a bowl of ice water and then drain. Set aside.
  • Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the fiddleheads to the pan and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Toss to coat, then remove from the heat. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Pour the water into a large stand-mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast and let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Add the remaining olive oil and salt and set the mixer on it's lowest speed. Start adding flour to the mixer in 1/4 cup increments. Continue adding flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to climb the dough hook. It should be silky but tacky to the touch. Add only as much flour as you need to to get the dough to this point.
  • Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead briefly. Form the dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.
  • Punch the dough down and divide it into two equal parts. Press each piece into two 9-inch oiled cake pans. Cover each pan with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for another 1 1/2 hours.
  • When only 30 minutes remains in the second rise time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Press the fiddleheads into the surface of each loaf of focaccia. Cover the focaccia with a quick drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkling of finishing salt.
  • Transfer the focaccia to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Transfer the focaccia to a cooling wrack and let cool.
  • Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or your favorite cheeses.