Focaccia With Asparagus, Prosciutto, And Truffle Oil

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup water, 110 degrees f
• 1 1/4 ounces dry active yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to oil bowl
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, as needed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bunch very tender young asparagus
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, leaves only
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, leaves only
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, leaves only
• 8 slices fontina cheese, sliced very thin
• 2 tablespoons truffle oil

Recipe

• 1 place the warm water in a food processor and sprinkle the yeast over the top.
• 2 wait for two minutes, then add the sugar, half of the olive oil, and half of the flour.
• 3 mix thoroughly until smooth, cover with plastic, and allow to sit for 45 minutes; it should be very foamy.
• 4 add the salt, the remaining oil, and half of the remaining flour.
• 5 mix thoroughly and, with the processor running, add the rest of the flour gradually, just two tbsp at a time, until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• 6 the ball of dough should be moist to the touch, but not too sticky and you may find it necessary to add additional flour, a very small amount at a time.
• 7 place a small amount of olive oil in a mixing bowl and add the dough, turning the dough several times to coat.
• 8 cover the dough ball with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, which should take about 45 minutes.
• 9 punch down the dough and turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth.
• 10 form into another ball.
• 11 bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• 12 trim the asparagus ends off and discard.
• 13 peel the asparagus skin off of the stalk, starting just below the tip.
• 14 boil the asparagus until it is bright green, about 2-3 minutes.
• 15 chill immediately under cold running water.
• 16 cut in half lengthwise and reserve.
• 17 place the pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees f.
• 18 cut the dough into four pieces and roll into balls.
• 19 use a rolling pin to roll the pieces into small disks, about 8 inches wide.
• 20 cover them with plastic and allow them to "proof" for about 5-10 minutes.
• 21 roll out again until each piece is about 1/2 inch thick.
• 22 sprinkle a pizza pan with cornmeal and transfer the dough pieces to it.
• 23 press your fingertips into the dough, leaving dimples in the surface.
• 24 sprinkle the dough with the 1/4 celsius olive oil, salt, oregano, rosemary, and sage, being careful to distribute the ingredients evenly over all of the dough pieces.
• 25 sprinkle the pizza stone with cornmeal and bake the dough disks for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
• 26 use a sharp knife to poke any large bubbles that form during baking.
• 27 remove the foccacia and top with the prosciutto, asparagus, and cheese slices.
• 28 return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the toppings are warm, about 10 minutes.
• 29 cut the finished foccacia into wedge shaped pieces before drizzling with the truffle oil.
• 30 sprinkle with pepper and serve while hot.