Italian Sausage & Herb Dressing Focaccia
Serves 14
15 mins prep
60 mins cook
720 mins Resting Time
795 mins total
A buttery crisp loaf of focaccia filled with all of the classic dressing ingredients. Softened onions, garlic and celery with fresh herbs and crumbled sausage make for a truly memorable loaf of bread.
The filling...
The focaccia...
Cook the filling...
Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter
Once the butter has melted, add the diced yellow onion, diced celery ribs and minced garlic, season generously with salt and black pepper and cook for about 10 minutes
Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh sage leaves and cook for another 60 seconds or until the sage leaves have softened and then set aside to cool for a few minutes
Make the dough...
In a large bowl, combine 6 cups of bread flour with a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of instant yeast
Add the slightly cooled garlic, celery, onions and sage along with 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley and toss until everything is evenly distributed and coated in flour
Add 3 cups of slightly warmed chicken stock and mix until you no long see dry ingredients and a sticky dough has formed
Drizzle the top of the dough with olive oil and use your hands to ensure the entire top surface is coated in olive oil
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and transfer the dough into the refrigerator to chill for 12-48 hours
Finish the focaccia...
Grease your baking dish/dishes and then add a tablespoon or so of olive oil into the bottom of each baking dish
Remove the dough from your refrigerator and use a silicone spatula or fork to pull the dough from the sides of the bowl
Divide the dough if baking in multiple dishes and transfer the dough into the prepared dishes
Flip the dough over several times to coat it in the olive oil and let the dough rest at room temperature until fully doubled in volume (this will take between 2-4 hours)
Place a large skillet over medium heat and cook 16 ounces of Italian sausage until browned and broken into small pieces. Set aside to cool.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
When the dough is fully rested, drizzle the top of the dough with olive oil and crumble the browned Italian sausage evenly over the top
Use your fingers to spread the dough out, gently press the sausage into the dough and leave dimples all over the dough (see photos above)
Sprinkle the top of the dough with flaky sea salt
Bake in a 425 degree oven for 25-35 minutes depending on the size of baking dish you are using (smaller dishes will be ready quicker than the larger one)
Once the bottom of the focaccia is golden brown and crispy, transfer the baking dish onto a cooling rack for 5 minutes and then transfer the focaccia directly onto a cooling rack to cool fully before slicing
