Stuffed Focaccia Bread

 Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

Today, I bring a very delicious stuffed flat bread recipe. It's my family favorite. Not just the family, every friend and guest I've served this to love it. It's nutritious and filling, wants you craving for one more slice. 

Here's my simple way to make it. There are a few segments to it:

1. Prepare the flatbread dough

2. Make the filling

3. Bring it all together, create the stuffed bread and bake. 

What you'll need:

Special Equipment: Pizza (or other flat) pan, greased with olive oil and an oven to bake. 

Ingredients:

1. Flatbread dough: 

Bread Flour - your choice of white, whole wheat or a mix - 5 cups

Olive Oil - 1/3 cup 

Yeast - 3 tsp

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Salt - 2 tsp

Water - 2 cups, luke warm

Dried basil, oregano or other italian seasoning - 2 tbsp

2. Filling:

Mixed vegetables: I commonly use

Bell Peppers - all colors - green, red, yellow, orange - one each, sliced thin

Potatoes - 2 large, sliced thin

Green Peas - 1 cup

Pineapple - cubed, 2 cups

Sundried tomatoes - 1 cup

Olives - chopped - 1 cup

Green Beans - Chopped into 1 inch pieces - 1 cup

Eggplant - 1/4 cup - cut as you desire

Carrots - sliced thin and long - 1 cup

Panneer - cubed, 1 cup

Fresh Basil - 1 cup

Pine nuts - 1/2 cup

Cheese - Cheddar, Mozzarella or a mix

Chilli flakes - 2 tbsp

Olive Oil - 2 tbps

Use any combination of the above vegetables, nuts and cheese per your preference. Add others that you may like.

Recipe

Pre-heat the oven to 400F

1. Prepare the dough:

If you have a standard method to make the pizza dough, use that. Here's what I do:

In some lukewarm water, add 2-3 tsps of dried yeast, sugar and salt, wait for it to froth, about 10-15 minutes.

In a large bowl, add the dough, olive oil, salt and the frothy yeast mixture. Knead well to form a loose dough. You can do this in a stand mixer or the dough setting of the bread maker if you have one. If not, no worries, just knead it all well. 

Cover and rest for an hour or two. Punch down after an hour. 

2. Prepare the filling:

In a large pan, add all the vegetables (except sundried tomatoes and olives), olive oil, salt and stir fry. Let this cook, fry in between to ensure it doesnt stick. When it is more than half way cooked, add the sundried tomatoes. When it is more or less cooked, add the olives. When the vegetables are all cooked, add the chopped panneer and chilli flakes and mix well. 

Grind the basil leaves and pine nuts together into a paste. Add to the prepared filling and mix well.

3. Bring it together and bake:

Cut the down into 4 equal parts. 

Take one part, roll it into a ball using your hands and then roll into a large flat round base (similar to how you would roll a pizza base or a large roti or a tortilla, but slightly thick than a roti or tortilla).

Place the dough base on to the greased pan.

Add the prepared filling and spread on the dough base leaving some space on the edge. 

Add grated cheese on top of the vegetables.

Take another part of the dough, roll it down flat and large. Carefully, lift and place on the dough/vegetable base and cover it fully. Stretch the edges to the bottom layer of the dough and press down to close fully. Use a fork or some water to seal the edges. 

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 25-40 minutes, depending on your oven. Bake until golden brown and crisp. Tap the top to feel the crispness. When it is done, take it out, let it cool down.

Cut into slices, offer to Krishna and enjoy.

Notes:

To make vegan stuffed focaccia, omit the panneer and cheese

Basil / Pine nut pesto paste is completely optional, it just adds a lot of flavor, but can be easily omitted if there is an allergy or if you simply dont like the taste

Any of the vegetables above can be substituted or omitted, for instance, I've only used eggplant once. While I eat the vegetable, its not my favorite so more often than not, I skip it.