Feta Date Focaccia with Apple Date Jam

December is snack month for Property committee. Doug suggested I use some of the dates we had on hand. I adapted my focaccia recipe a bit, and made up a Feta Date Focaccia with Apple Date Jam.

 

Ingredients:

Dough

• 16 ounces sourdough starter, fed or unfed
  (or use 8 ounces water, 8 ounces flour, and 1/4 teaspoon more yeast + the quanties below)
• 2.25 ounces lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 8.75 ounces All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
    

Mix-Ins

• 4 ounces of feta
• 1/2 cup dates, pitted, and diced small
• 1/2 cup craisins, diced (add 1/4 of water, and microwave on high for 1 minute if they are dry. Let them sit a few minutes to plump up, then drain.)
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, 2/3 of it diced small, 1/3 in longer pieces   

Jam

• 1.5 cups peeled and diced apple (I used 1 large apple from Costco)
• 1 cup dates, pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup water (or so, depending on how moist your dates are)
• 1 teaspoon rosemary, diced fine

 

Instructions:

1. For the bread: Combine starter and water in stand mixer bowl. Mix in yeast, and 1/2 cup of flour. Let proof for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Mix in rest of flour, salt, milk, and oil, and knead for 2 minutes to combine.
3. Add in 3/4 of the mix-ins.
   (Save the rest for a topping - the craisin and rosmary make it kind of Christmas-y)
4. Continue to knead for 3 to 4 more minutes to make a smooth, soft dough.
5. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and let it rise for about an hour.   
6. Using cooking spray, lightly grease an 18" x 13" rimmed baking sheet (half-sheet pan). 
7. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil on top the spray
   (The spray keeps the bread from sticking,the olive oil gives the bottom crust crunch and flavor)
8. Press the dough on the pan, pat out to fill pan.
   (I was experimenting, and cut the dough into little pieces, tried scoring it to look like leaves, but later I just  patted it back into the pan.)
9. Sprinkle the reserved mix-ins over the dough.
   (If desired, lightly sprinkle with a little salt.)
10. Dimple the surface of the dough using your fingertips.
11. Allow the dough to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat to 375º during last 15 minutes or so.
12. Bake the bread for about 25 to 30 minutes. 
13. Remove from oven, let cool in the pan on a baking rack.
      
    
14. For the jam: Place the dates, apples, rosemary and water in a microwave safe bowl. Heat them on full power for 3 minutes, stir, and then heat them another 2 minutes. The dates should soften up to almost a paste.
15. Use food processor to pulvervise the jam to the consistency you like.
       

 

Carole's Notes:

I liked this bread - the mix of feta, rosemary, and dates/craisins seemed to work well. The jam is pretty sweet, but worked well dabbed on the bread to taste.

The bread recipe was lightly adapted from my other sourdough focaccias.
The jam recipe was adapted from http://theblissfulbalance.com/date-apple-jam/

You can also use just sourdough starter to leaven the bread - it will take longer to rise.