Antipasto-stuffed focaccia

4
Points®
Total Time
40 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Moderate
Warm, fresh focaccia squares make perfect pockets for a flavorful and crunchy antipasto salad in this substantial appetizer. It features roasted red peppers, olives, grape tomatoes, celery, red onion, beef salami, and two kinds of cheese. Serving fewer than 12 people and you have some leftover focaccia? Store it in the freezer, ready to thaw when you need a great sandwich bread. If time is short, you can substitute an 11-ounce store-bought focaccia for the homemade and freshen it in a warm oven for 5 minutes. And if you like, you can substitute fresh mozzarella for the provolone cheese, and prosciutto for the salami.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour

2¼ cup(s)

Yeast

¼ oz, 1 package quick-rise variety

Table salt

¾ tsp

Water

¾ cup(s), very warm (120–130°F)

Water

2 Tbsp, very warm (120–130°F)

Roasted red peppers (packed in water)

7 oz, rinsed, drained, and cut into strips

Olives

24 olive(s), medium, pitted black and green variety, coarsely chopped

Diet Italian salad dressing (2 calories per tbs)

3 Tbsp, fat-free variety

Garlic

1 clove(s), minced

Grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp

Grape tomatoes

1 cup(s), halved

Celery

1 rib(s), large, sliced

Red onion

¼ small, thinly sliced

Provolone cheese

3 oz, diced

Beef salami

1 oz, diced

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, pour the warm water through the feed tube. Pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes.
  2. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with olive-oil nonstick spray. Place the dough in the pan and press with fingertips to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it almost doubles in size, about 45 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, combine the roasted peppers, olives, dressing, and garlic in a large bowl; set aside to marinate.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray the dough with nonstick spray. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake until browned, 20–25 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the pan and let cool on a rack.
  5. Add the tomatoes, celery, onion, provolone cheese, and salami to the roasted pepper mixture. Cut the focaccia into 12 squares, then split each square in half horizontally. Fill each square with about 1⁄3 cup of the antipasto mixture. Yields 1 square per serving.