Finally, on one of our last days in Taos last month, we hunted down the roadside vendor selling pine nuts! Obtaining these gems locally was one of the reasons I wanted to go to New Mexico. These nuts taste so much better than the jarred ones you can get from the grocery store. These actually taste “piney.”
Thought I would try this foccacia to go with some pasta and the recently roasted fresh tomato sauce I have been freezing.
Pesto “Faux” Focaccia
1 pkg. yeast (2 ¼ t.)
1 T. sugar
1 1/3 c. warm water
3 c. flour
1 t. Kosher salt
1/2 t. course ground pepper
4 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
2 T. pine nuts
In the bowl of a heavy stand mixer (equipped with a dough hook) dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Mix in flour, salt, pepper, and 3 T. olive oil. Mix dough until smooth–it will be sticky. Add Parmesan and basil and knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. Pour dough from mixing bowl and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise until doubled (about 30-45 minutes). After dough has risen, prepare two round cake pans—oil sides and cut rounds of parchment paper to line bottom.
What it looks like after the first rise.
Pour half of the dough into each pan. (I like to have indentations and even holes in my dough.) Brush with 1 T. olive oil and sprinkle with pine nuts. Let rise again until doubled (about 20 minutes.) Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 and bake 20 minutes more. Makes two loaves.
I think I should like to try garlic in this next time. I was also thinking about a rosemary/pine nut combination.
