Focaccia Topped With Salad & Feta

Yield: 6-8 focaccias
Prep time: 40 minutes
Level: Medium

Ingredients:

Focaccia:

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2.2 pounds flour
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Dash coarse salt
• Handful of fresh thyme or rosemary

Salad:

• 3 small beets, vacuum packed, sliced thinly
• 1 package arugula
• 1 Spanish onion, sliced
• 1 container Tnuva Light Feta or Crumbled Sheep Feta
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2 tablespoons silan
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Juice of half lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Focaccia: Put the salt, flour, yeast, sugar or honey and water in a mixer and knead with the dough hook for about 2 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil and knead for an additional 8 minutes until the dough separates from the sides of the bowl but still sticks to the bottom. (Add a little more water if the dough is tough or dry.)
2. Cover the bowl with a towel or cling wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour (or overnight in the fridge).
3. Punch down the dough and place it on a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts (each should weigh about 4-5 ounces). Form each piece into a ball, and let rise under plastic for about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 480°F and line baking pans with parchment paper.
5. Sprinkle some more flour on your work surface. Take a ball of dough and press it down, gently stretching with your hands until it is an elongated oval shape (you can also use a rolling pin). Transfer to the baking pan. With wet hands, press down on the dough to form depressions, then sprinkle with olive oil, coarse salt and fresh thyme or rosemary.
6. Before baking, place some ice cubes on a baking tray and put it on the bottom oven rack to create steam. Put the focaccia on the middle rack and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, prepare the next focaccia. Repeat the process with all the dough. Add more ice to the oven as necessary.
7. Place all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss. Place all dressing ingredients in a jar and mix well. Pour over the salad and toss gently.
8. To serve, spoon some salad over each focaccia, and top with chopped nuts if desired.