This savory (mostly) whole grain focaccia is crowd-pleasing party food, suitable for a variety of toppings. Though it takes some time to prepare the dough, little of it is hands on and it's truly worth the wait.
¼c.+ 2 tablespoon olive oilplus extra for greasing
1tablespoonhoney
Toppings
½lbitalian sausagecasings removed
2tablespoonbutter
2-3large leekshalved and sliced
1c.ricotta
sea saltto taste
cracked black pepperto taste
fresh chivesto taste
parmesan cheeseto taste
balsamic reductionto taste
Instructions
Place the flours,yeast and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to incorporate. Then, with the machine running, add the olive oil, honey, and 1 ¼ to 1 1/12 cups of water until the dough forms a slightly sticky ball. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times until it forms a smooth ball. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in size - either 2 hours at room temperature or 8 or so hours in the fridge.
Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450. Grease a baking pan with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and press the focaccia dough across the pan until it reaches the outer edges. Cover with a towel and allow to rest while you prepare the toppings, 30-40 minutes (or until it looks a bit puffed).
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the pan and brown, breaking it into bits with a spatula as you cook, 10-12 minutes. Once the sausage is browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
Keeping the heat at medium-high, add 2 tablespoon butter to the remaining fat rendered from the sausage. Once the butter foams, add the leeks and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are caramelized around the edges, 10-12 minutes.
Once the focaccia dough has finished resting, dimple the surface with your fingers and rub with another tablespoon of olive oil. Then, spread ½ c. of ricotta over the surface of the dough. Top with the browned crumbled sausage, leeks, and dollops of the remaining half cup of ricotta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the dough in the oven and reduce the heat to 350. Bake 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and top with fresh parmesan, chives and balsamic reduction. Slice and serve immediately.