Sunday Feast № 48 | Focaccia with Roasted Pumpkin

It is well into pumpkin season and I've also been meaning to make bread. This adaptation of a recipe from Food & Wine magazine November 2014 issue (yes, I am going through my old issues) is mainly to do with the fact that I do not have a stand up mixer, so elbow grease it was instead. What I do have is great central heating that allowed me to proof the dough with the bowl or baking sheet standing on a wooden cutting board on top of a column radiator for that perfect 80-90°F/27-32°C range. Lose some. Win some. Watch the initial roasting of the pumpkin slices knowing that they will roast again atop of the focaccia dough.

Starter 1¼ cup all-purpose flour ¾ tepid water 1⅛ tsp active dry yeast Dough olive oil for greasing and brushing 2½ cups all-purpose flour ¾ tepid water 2¼ tsp active dry yeast 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Kosher salt Topping ~ 1 lb 12 oz/800 g pumpkin peeled halved lengthwise seeded and cut crosswise into ⅛ in/3 mm thick slices 2 tbsp olive oil + more for brushing Kosher salt and pepper honey for drizzling thyme leaves + good salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine the flour with the water and yeast. Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature overnight. Next day, grease a large bowl with olive oil. In the bowl with the starter, combine it with the flour, water, and yeast, then mix and knead for ~ 8 min. Let it rest for 20 min. Add salt and knead until smooth and tacky, ~ 8-10 min. Scrape the dough into the greased bowl and shape into a ball. Cover and let stand in a warm place (~ 80-90°F/27-32°C is ideal) until doubled in size, ~ 1-2 hr. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and cut it in half. Shape the dough into two balls and transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush the balls with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, ~ 1 hr. Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C. In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin slices with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the slices in a single layer either on two baking sheets lined with parchment or two batches on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and roast for ~ 5-10 min, until tender. Let the roasted slices cool completely. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F/235°C. Gently curl the cooled pumpkin slices and press them into the slightly flattened dough. Brush the focaccia with olive oil and bake for ~25 min, until risen and browned on top. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 5 min. Drizzle with honey on top and sprinkle with thyme leaves and salt. Serve warm.