The “Sephardi” Focaccia

Ingredients 

Focaccia 

• 1 recipe focaccia dough or 1 package Tuscanini Focaccia

Meat Topping 

• 3–4 tablespoons Gefen Olive or canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or 4 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic
• 500 grams (18 ounces) chopped beef or lamb, or a mixture of both (preferred)
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Gefen Honey
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons water

Salad 

• 2 tomatoes (or a handful of red cherry tomatoes), chopped
• 7–10 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley

Techinah 

• 1/4 cup Haddar Tahini Paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or 1 cube Gefen Frozen Garlic (optional)
• salt, to taste
• sumac, to garnish

Directions 

Shape and Bake the Dough 

1. Follow directions for preparing the dough. When you are ready to bake, remove from the fridge and place on a lightly oiled work surface. Cut the dough into three pieces. Shape each one into a ball and leave covered on the counter till they come to room temperature (about 60 minutes).

2. Preheat the oven and a baking stone or baking steel (or a baking sheet turned upside down) to the highest temperature.

3. Working with one piece of dough at a time, sprinkle some flour underneath and on top of the dough and press into an oval shape. Flour your hands and stretch the dough gently until each oval is around five to six inches long by three inches wide.

4. Open the oven and carefully slide the focaccia onto the baking stone or steel. If using a baking sheet, carefully remove it from the oven, dust with flour, gently slide the focaccia onto it, and return it to the oven. Bake four to six minutes, until golden and puffed.

5. Brush the edges with olive oil and set aside. Alternatively, store at room temperature in an airtight bag or freeze (if freezing, don’t brush with oil).

Prepare the Meat Topping 

1. In a skillet, heat oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add meat and cook until no longer pink, about four to five minutes.

2. Add paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cinnamon, tomato paste, honey, barbecue sauce and water. Cook two more minutes and set aside.

Prepare the Salad 

1. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with onion and parsley. Set aside.

Prepare the Techinah 

1. In a small bowl, mix tahini paste with water. The tahini will seize, but keep mixing and it will become smooth and lighter in color.

2. Stir in lemon juice, garlic (if using) and salt.

Serve 

1. Top baked focaccias with meat mixture. Place on a baking sheet and pop into a hot oven to warm up for about 5 minutes. (For a Shabbos meal, warm the focaccias and meat separately on the plata and then assemble.) Place on a pretty wooden cutting board or serving board.

2. Top the meat with salad and drizzle with techinah. Sprinkle with sumac.

3. Slice into sticks about one to one and a half inches wide. Serve extra techinah on the side for dipping.