Tuscan Bean Soup and Focaccia Bread

Tuscan Bean Soup

Every year it is the same. All summer, I look forward to fall and winter. A time when I get to bust out all my cute sweaters and boots and layer to my heart's content. A time for me to bake pumpkin-flavored everything with reckless abandon. A time when holidays come in such abundance one barely has time to redecorate between festivities. I love it all. Until February 15th, that is.

You see, now that Valentine's has passed, I have but one thing on my mind. Spring. A time when I become reunited with white pants, sandals, pastels, and tank tops. A time when fruit and vegetables come back in season. A time for tax returns and tax return-funded shopping. :)

Yet, as much as I've been wishing for spring, Mother Nature decided to send some snow and brutal winds my way this past weekend. Grrr. So, I decided to embrace what I am hoping was the last of my New England winter and make one last winter meal.

Question: What winter meal is best?
Answer: Soup and homemade bread. Obvi.

This Tuscan Bean Soup is quick and easy. This Focaccia Bread is not, but you should make it anyway. This Focaccia Bread is definitely in the Top 10 of Best Recipes Ever...a very scientific and objective compilation of amazing recipes created in my mind for this very post. Don't be intimidated by the length of the directions. Most of it is down time, waiting for the dough to rise. Plus, I made this dough by hand so if you happen to own a stand mixer, no excuses. Also, I envy you.

Focaccia Bread

Side note: the herb oil from this recipe easily makes enough for two batches of Focaccia Bread so you might consider either halving the herb oil ingredients or just save the extra for another batch of bread! Clearly, I endorse option number two.

So, without further adieu, I give to you one complete winter meal. Make it, love it, and then pray for spring with me.

Tuscan Bean Soup

Ingredients:
2 cans white beans, drained (Cannellini or Great Northern)
1 c. onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces deli ham, chopped (preferably uncured)
3 c. chicken broth, divided
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup Italian diced tomatoes
Salt, to taste

Directions:
Saute onion, carrots and garlic in oil in a large saucepan until onions are lightly browned, 5-8 min. Add ham and saute 2 minutes longer. Add 2 cups broth, herbs and peppers.

Process one can of beans and remaining 1 cup broth in blender or food processor until smooth; add to soup and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 35-45 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining beans and tomatoes with liquid; simmer 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt.

Serves 6

Source: Perry's Place, originally from 1001 Low-Fat Soups and Stews

Focaccia Perfection

Focaccia Bread

For the Bread:
5 cups high-gluten or bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups water, at room temperature
½ cup Herb Oil
Extra olive oil for the pan

For the Herb Oil:
2 cups olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (any combination of basil, parsley, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, savory, and sage) - OR - 1/3 cup dried herbs or a blend such as herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon coarse (kosher) salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic or 5 to 6 fresh cloves, minced

1. To Make the Herb Oil: Warm 2 cups of olive oil to about 100 degrees F. Add 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs or 1/3 cup dried herbs. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir together and allow to steep while you prepare the dough. You can keep any leftover herb oil in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (it makes a fabulous dipping oil!).

2. Stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and water and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until all the ingredients form a wet, sticky ball. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. You may need to add additional flour to firm up the dough enough to clear the sides of the bowl, but the dough should still be quite soft and sticky.

3. Sprinkle enough flour on the counter to make a bed about 6 inches square. Using a scraper or spatula dippedi n water, transfer the sticky dough to the bed of flour and dust liberally with flour, patting the dough into a rectangle. Wait 5 minutes for the dough to relax.

4. Coat your hands with flour and stretch the dough from each end to twice its size. Fold it, letter style, over itself to return it to a rectangular shape. Mist the top of the dough with spray oil, again dust with flour, and loosely cover with plastic wrap.

5. Let rest for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough again; mist with spray oil, dust with flour, and cover. After 30 minutes, repeat this one more time.

6. Allow the covered dough to ferment on the counter for 1 hour. It should swell but not necessarily double in size.

7. Line a 17 by 12-inch sheet pan with baking parchment and drizzle ¼ olive oil over the paper, and spread it with your hands or a brush to cover the surface. Lightly oil your hands and, using a plastic or metal pastry scraper, lift the dough off the counter and transfer it to the sheet pan, maintaining the rectangular shape as much as possible.

8. Spoon half of the herb oil over the dough. Use your fingertips to dimple the dough and spread it to fill the pan simultaneously. Do not use the flat of your hands – only the fingertips – to avoid tearing or ripping the dough. Try to keep the thickness as uniform as possible across the surface. Dimpling allows you to degas only part of the dough while preserving gas in the non-dimpled sections. If the dough becomes too springy, let it rest for about 15 minutes and then continue dimpling. Don’t worry if you are unable to fill the pan perfectly, especially the corners. As the dough relaxes and proofs, it will spread out naturally. Use more herb oil as needed to ensure that the entire surface is coated with oil.

9. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough overnight (or for up to 3 days).

10. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 3 hours before baking. Drizzle additional herb oil over the surface and dimple it in. This should allow you to fill the pan completely with the dough to a thickness of about ½-inch. Cover the pan with plastic and proof the dough at room temperature for 3 hours, or until the dough doubles in size, rising to a thickness of nearly 1 inch.

11. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

12. Place the pan in the oven. Lower the oven setting to 450 degrees F and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking the focaccia for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it begins to turn a light golden brown. The internal temperature of the dough should register above 200 degrees F (measured in the center).

13. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately transfer the focaccia out of the pan onto a cooling rack.

14. Allow the focaccia to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing or serving.

Makes one 12×17-inch loaf
Source: Brown Eyed Baker, originally from The Bread Baker's Apprentice