1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
¼ cup olive oil
1½ teaspoons dried instant yeast
2¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary (1 to 2 stems)
Coarse or flaky salt, for sprinkling
In a stockpot or large bowl, mix the water, half the oil, yeast, salt, sugar, and flour until it forms a rough dough. Cover and let rest for about 2 hours on the counter. Chill dough about half an hour to make it easier to handle.
Place a baking stone or heavy baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the remaining oil into a 9-inch cake pan and evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
On a cutting board or work surface, dust the surface of the chilled dough lightly with flour, then pull off half, about one pound. Dust with more flour and shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. (See note below about refrigerating or freezing.)
Use your hands to flatten the dough into a round about 1/2 an inch thick and 6 to 7 inches across. Place dough top side down in the cake pan, moving it around to coat it with the oil. It will not fill the pan. Turn the dough over, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Use your hands to gently push the dough to the edges of the cake pan. Sprinkle with the rosemary and coarse or flaky salt, as needed.
Cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest and rise for 20 minutes.
Place the cake pan on the heated baking stone in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is medium brown and feels dry and firm on the surface. The baking time will vary depending on the focaccia’s thickness.
Use a rounded knife to loosen the loaf from the edges of the pan, then transfer the focaccia to a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
The remaining half of the dough can be tightly wrapped and frozen, or refrigerated and kept up to a week. Remove dough from freezer or refrigerator; thaw if frozen. Shape and bake as above.
At Home with Pepper
COLD SESAME NOODLES
A terrific addition to a weeknight dinner—despite the name, no need to chill them!
¼ cup chopped peanuts, toasted
10–16 ounces Chinese egg noodles (1/8-inch thick; often sold as Lo Mein noodles)
2 tablespoons sesame oil for the sauce, plus a splash for the cooked noodles
3½ tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste or tahini, well-mixed
1 tablespoon peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (fresh or jarred)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste
Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced or julienned, or a few scallions (green onions), chopped
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Toast the peanuts 10 minutes and remove from oven. Remember that they will continue to brown as they cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes; they should be al dente, with a touch of chewiness. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste or tahini, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chili-garlic paste.
Place the noodles in your serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Garnish with cucumber or scallions and peanuts.
Serves 6 to 8.
BROCCOLI BEEF STIR FRY
Classic and easy, a great weeknight meal, especially when paired with Cold Sesame Noodles and baseball.
3 ounces dry sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil (raw, toasted, or a mix)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
10 ounces flank steak, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral vegetable oil)
4 cups broccoli, flowers and stems, cut into bite-sized pieces (trim stems and peel if tough)
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (green onions)
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
Prepare marinade in a bowl or a large sealable plastic or silicone bag. Combine sherry, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Add beef and stir, or if you’re using a bag, squeeze out the air, seal, and turn to coat beef. Marinade 30 minutes to an hour.
Toast the sesame seeds, if you’re using them. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Spread seeds in a shallow baking pan and bake about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t overcook; they will continue to brown as they cool.
Strain marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add enough water to make ⅓ cup liquid. Stir in corn-starch until dissolved.
Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and beef; fry, stirring, until the beef loses its red color, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to another dish. Add broccoli and stir-fry about 3 minutes, then cover and allow to steam a minute. Add the beef and boiled marinade; increase heat and stir-fry until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve with optional toasted sesame seeds.
Serves 4.
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