Chocolate focaccia

I'm dying to share this unique and delicious recipe! Today we will discover together the wonderful world of Chocolate Focaccia . This surprising variant, sweet and tempting, is the perfect choice for a special breakfast or snack.

Chocolate Focaccia combines the traditional spongy and slightly salty dough of focaccia with the irresistible sweetness of chocolate . The contrast of flavors is simply wonderful, creating a unique gastronomic experience to enjoy at any time of the day.

In my version of this recipe, I have decided to accompany it with roasted strawberries, since the juicy and slightly acidic flavor of the strawberries contrasts perfectly with the chocolate. However, if you prefer to enjoy the purity and power of chocolate, you can skip the strawberries and enjoy this delight on its own.

The preparation of Chocolate Focaccia is as simple as it is rewarding. We will carefully mix the ingredients to obtain a soft and elastic dough. The magic will happen in the oven, where the chocolate will melt and fuse with the dough, creating a simply sublime result.

So, without further ado, let's get to work and discover the charm of this Chocolate Focaccia! I am sure that it will conquer you from the first bite and will become one of your favorite recipes.

Ingredients

• 260 ml water (room temp.)
• 450 g strong flour
• 15 g fresh yeast (or 3 g dry yeast)
• 1 tbsp well filled with brown sugar
• 1 generous pinch of fine salt
• Olive oil
• Maldon Flake Salt
• 4 or 5 strawberries
• A chocolate bar topping*

*I have opted for dark chocolate, it contrasts more and better with the strawberries from my point of view, but you can make the focaccia with milk chocolate, white chocolate or a mixture of chocolates.

Preparation

1. Heat the water slightly so that it is lukewarm.
2. Dissolve the yeast in it, stir until it is well mixed, and also add the sugar. Mix until dissolved and reserve a few minutes to activate it.
3. Put the flour in the bowl of the KitchenAid stand mixer ideally (if you are going to knead by hand, in a bowl directly), with the paddle accessory start mixing at low speed and add the yeast water and sugar.
4. When it is integrated, add the salt. Mix well until everything is completely integrated and switch to the dough hook.
5. Knead by hand or in the mixer with the dough hook, until you obtain a uniform dough. You can now use high speeds to knead, and to make it easier you can alternate kneading with rest in this way: about 3 minutes of kneading and about 10-12 minutes of rest. Proceed like this several times (don't skimp on kneading, it takes time for the gluten to develop), whatever the dough requires, until you see it smooth and soft. When resting, cover it with a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
6. When the dough is ready, you will see that it is smooth and when stretched it does not break, form it into a ball and put it in a bowl with the walls brushed with oil, and covered with transparent film (to prevent air from entering and drying out the dough). You can brush the dough with oil if you want. Let it rest for about 45 minutes or until it almost doubles in volume. Place it in a warm place, I often use the oven, closed and off, since there is no draft there (if I am in a hurry I have heated it to 40ºC beforehand so that it is warm, and stopped before introducing the dough; so with the heat residual cam space before the mass).
7. When the dough is ready, coat a porcelain tray such as the Revol (26cm long) with oil or mold release spray.
8. Remove the film from the bowl where you have the dough, and press the air out of the dough by pressing it gently with your knuckles. Split the dough in two, cutting it with a spatula, and place one of the parts in the mold, spreading it so that it covers the bottom of the tray (keep the other part covered with film or a cloth).
9. Spread pieces of fondant chocolate throughout the dough. The more the better! Remember that you can use a mixture of several types if you want.
10. Spread salt flakes over the entire surface, you will see later that the contrast intensifies the flavor of the chocolate.
11. Now take the second part of the dough and stretch it with your fingers on a floured surface, to obtain a rectangle-shaped dough the size of the previous one. Transfer it to the Revol tray, thus covering the dough with the chocolate.
12. With your fingers, finish stretching it to adjust both masses. Brush generously with oil and cover the tray with the kitchen towel. Let it rest for 30 or 45 more minutes, so that the masses relax again.
13. Preheat the oven to 210ºC, and wash the strawberries.
14. Uncover the tray, make some holes in the surface of your focaccia and brush with oil again.
15. Arrange laminated strawberries, about 2 mm thick, on the entire surface.
16. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 210ºC, then go to 190ºC and finish baking until you see the dough and strawberries done (a total of about 25 minutes in the oven). You will see that the dough has acquired a nice golden tone, the walls are separating from the mold and the strawberries are somewhat wrinkled or dry.
17. Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
18. When it has lost the most intense heat, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve while it is still somewhat hot, so that the chocolate is melting. They'll take it out of your hands!