Erica De Mane

Marcello with his own festive yeast creation.

Recipe: Focaccia with Zucchini, Shallots, and Black Olives

At summer’s end, what are we left with at the market that still speaks summer? Bins of dried-out zucchini. But I hold on to the idea of zucchini anyway, that big, sometimes really big, symbol of summer heat and fruitfulness, even as the nights become cool and my once floral basil grows woody and starts to smell like cat pee.

Not only does zucchini accumulate as summer ends; also its taste changes, becoming cottony and aerated.  In summer a bit of olive oil, a scattering of mint, a quick sauté, and you’ve got a regal dish. Now you have to drench it in flavor to bring any life to it. Here I’ve topped a classic focaccia dough, one of the simplest yeast breads of all, with raw marinated zucchini, cut paper thin and tossed with olives, anchovies, lots of thyme, garlic, and good, abundant olive oil. It’s what I would call a transitional dish, working a delicate summer vegetable into a traditionally more hearty format.  A big stretch of  crisp, oily dough warm from the oven really takes on your hunger on a night with a hint of a chill.

Focaccia with Zucchini, Shallots, and Black Olives

(Serves 8 as an antipasto offering)

For the dough:

1 package active dry yeast
1¼ cups warm water (about 115 degrees)
A pinch of sugar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little extra
½ teaspoon salt

For the top:

Extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, very thinly sliced
3 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced (use a mandolin, if it doesn’t scare you; otherwise a sharp knife will do)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
About 10 large thyme sprigs, the leaves chopped
5 minced anchovies
A handful of wrinkly Moroccan black olives, pitted
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of sugar

Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and the sugar, giving them a quick stir to dissolve clumps, and let sit until frothy, about 8 minutes.

Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture. Then add 3 cups of flour and the salt. Stir the mixture until you have a nice soft dough. It will be quite sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead very briefly, about 4 minutes, adding a minimal amount of extra flour to prevent sticking (mostly flouring your hands).

Oil a large bowl, and place the dough in it, turning it once to coat it all over in oil. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Coat a 10-by-15-inch sheet pan well with olive oil. Turn the dough out onto the pan, and stretch and pat the dough out, fitting it to the edges of the pan. Give the focaccia a drizzle of olive oil, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it sit again until it’s puffy, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a big bowl, combine the zucchini, shallot slices, garlic, thyme, anchovies, and olives. Season with a small amount of salt (remember that the anchovies and olives are salty), a more generous amount of black pepper, and the sugar. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and toss everything very well with your hands, making sure the zucchini especially is coated with oil (add more if you think you need to).

Uncover the focaccia, and spread out the zucchini mix over it in one layer as best you can. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 375 degrees, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the focaccia is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.