Focaccia Cake + Spinach Dip

Sometimes I have the worst ideas. For example, every time I smell pizza, and love it, I have the fleeting thought: “I wish I had a pizza-scented candle.” I think we all know that’d be gross, and it’d result in constant stomach rumbling. Double trouble.

However finagling foccacia bread into a layer-cake that can be lunch, is not a bad idea. Not that I have any problem with cake for lunch.

So let’s eat cake that’s basically a sandwich, and that’s definitely delicious.

Focaccia Bread {makes three 6-inch loaves}
Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes + Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:

bread –

• 1 heaping t, (1/2 package) active dry yeast
• pinch of sugar
• 1/3 cup warm water, about 100ºF
• 1 cup + 2 T water, at room temperature
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil + more for topping + greasing the pans
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 cups+ all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water. Let it rest for 10 minutes, or until super frothy.
2. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil into the room temperature water. Add the frothy yeast water. Whisk in the salt and bread flour. Then, one cup at a time, whisk in the rest of the flour. As the mixture goes from a batter to a thick dough, you’ll want to switch to a wooden spoon. By  the time you get to the last cup of flour, you’ll be able to knead the dough. Begin to knead it in the bowl trying to incorporate the flour stuck to the sides and bottom of the bowl. Once the bowl is clean, turn dough out onto the cupboard and knead for 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.*
3. In a large clean bowl, pour in about a teaspoon of olive oil and using your hand or pastry brush, spread the oil out to cover the bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for an hour and a half, or until double in size.
4. Brush the bottom of three 6-inch cake pans with olive oil, lining the bottoms with parchment paper brushing with additional olive oil. Divide the dough between the pans and use your fingertips dimple and spread the dough out to fit. Brush tops with olive oil and divide sliced tomatoes, parmesan, and basil between the loaves. Cover and set aside to rise for an hour and a half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. With 30 minutes to go before the rise finishes, place an iron skillet on the lowest shelf, or base of your oven. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Meanwhile heat up some water. Pour into the skillet when you place the loaves in the oven. The water will create steam for when the bread is baking.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is evenly golden, rotating half way through. Turn out onto a wire rack within 3-5 minutes of removing it from the oven; this will keep the bottom of the bread crispy. Cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.

*You can totally use your stand mixer for the dough. I sure did. Just use your paddle attachment until the last cup of flour.Then switch to the dough hook and knead on low for 8 minutes or until the sides of the bowl are clean.

Note: This bread takes awhile, rising twice and all. Feel free to make the loaves a day ahead and then make the spinach dip the next day. It’ll make assembling a breeze!

In the morning I tracked flour footprints through the entire flat. In the afternoon I trailed spinach leaves. It’s just how it goes, I guess.

Foccacia torte? Tomato cake? Lunch.

Spinach Dip {makes enough to fill three 6-inch loaves}
Recipe adapted from Picky Palette via this post

• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• heaping 3 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 6 oz. softened cream cheese
• 3/4 cup light sour cream
• 6 T fresh shredded parmesan cheese
• dash of cayenne pepper
• a hefty pinch of kosher salt
• a generous sprinkle of ground pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes then add garlic, stir while cooking a minute then turn heat off.
2. Sir together the cream cheese, sour cream, cooked spinach mixture, parmesan cheese, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined. Place in the fridge until loaves are cool enough to slice and fill.

You better believe I ate that piece of cake.*

*I had major self control until 8pm. I then ate another piece and felt so much better about life.

Pesto Cream Cheese {garnish for three 6-inch cakes}

Ingredients:

• 1 T prepared pesto
• 6 oz. cream cheese

Directions:

1. Beat together the pesto and cream cheese. Pipe onto your lunch cake.

Assemble: Cut each loaf in half horizontally. I do this by placing toothpicks around the perimeter of the loaf exactly in half I then use a long serrated knife to cut above the toothpicks. (Like THIS minus the floss.) Otherwise, I promise, I’d have the most uneven layers ever. Divide spinach dip between each and top with the tomato-covered top of the bread. Pipe pesto cream cheese around the edges. Slice and serve.

P.S. Are you guys getting as excited for Valentine’s Day as I am?