The “Big Texan” Focaccia

After our photo shoot, I brought home a lot of focaccia, as you might imagine. So we had my mom and a few friends over for an impromptu dinner. People just kind of showed up at my house, and I reheated everything and brought it all out on a big tray. This one is my mother’s favorite. With a perfect focaccia base, saucy barbecue pulled chicken, and fire-roasted vegetables, you’ll see why she always goes for seconds.

Yield: 2 focaccias

3h 30m 8
Easy Meat

Contains: Gluten, Wheat, Egg

Directions

Shape and Bake the Dough

  1. Follow directions for preparing the dough. When you are ready to bake, remove from the fridge and place on a lightly oiled work surface. Cut the dough into two pieces. Shape each into a ball and leave them covered on the counter till they come to room temperature (about 60 minutes).

  2. Preheat the oven and a baking stone or baking steel (or a baking sheet turned upside down) to the highest temperature.

  3. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour underneath and on top of the dough and tap it into a rectangle. Flour the backs of your hands, slide them under the dough, then lift it and begin to stretch it, letting your thumbs do the work. Continue gently stretching the dough until you have a rectangular shape about eight to 10 inches long and about five inches wide.

  4. Open the oven and carefully slide the focaccia onto the baking stone or steel. If using a baking sheet, carefully remove it from the oven, dust with flour, gently slide the focaccia onto it, and return it to the oven. Bake five to seven minutes, until golden and puffed.

  5. Brush the edges with olive oil and set aside. Alternatively, store at room temperature in an airtight bag or freeze (if freezing, don’t brush with oil).

Prepare the Chicken

  1. Place chicken in a pot with one cup water and barbecue sauce to cover. (Start with 1/2 bottle and add more as needed.) Add sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne.

  2. Simmer on low 25–30 minutes, until chicken is fork tender.

  3. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving any extra sauce in the pot. Shred the chicken.

  4. Return chicken to the pot and mix with the extra sauce.

Prepare the Spicy Sauce

  1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, garlic powder, lemon juice, and sriracha. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Prepare the Charred Vegetables

  1. Carefully place peppers and tomatoes over an open flame and cook three to four minutes, until lightly charred.

  2. When vegetables are cool enough to touch, cut peppers into strips and tomatoes into quarters.

Credits

Description:
Photography by Shoshi Sirkis
Styling by Anat Lobel

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1 Comment

C K

Hi, do you bake it without the chicken and then put it on after? or do you bake the raw foccacia with the chicken on it??

Goldy G Kosher.com Team
Reply to C K

First, bake the focaccia. If you are using Tuscanini's ready made focaccia, there is no need for that step, though. :)