This is one of those recipes that came about because I had a lot of leftover broccolini and was trying to figure out what to do with it. I still remember during the pandemic how people would make aesthetically pleasing focaccia landscapes, and figured, why not take a whack at it? Truthfully, I used to make focaccia all the time back in high school. Whenever I would do a pizza night-type of thing with friends, I would actually use focaccia dough as my pizza crusts, because I loved that soft, springy texture of the baked bread, and it is a dough that comes together relatively quickly(by leavened bread standards). But as I started learning all sorts of other baking and cooking techniques, focaccia kind of went to the wayside for me. Not because I disliked it, but because I got distracted with all of the fun new bells and whistles I got introduced to through various cooking experiences. But I can say that there is a reason why even high school Fred(aka someone who primarily baked cupcakes) was able to execute focaccia well – it is not a complicated dough to make. Yes, like with any bread, kneading is involved, but it is such a quick resting period, the dough always tastes great, and the only sort of caveat is that there is not as much skill or complexity involved with making it. That being said, add some cheese and broccolini to it, and you basically get cheesy broccoli soup, but in focaccia form. And if that’s not comforting, I don’t know what is.

Growing up, I never got why broccoli got such a bad rap with kids. There was that one old Powerpuff Girls episode, where these evil broccoli people tried to take over the city, but they ended up getting drowned in cheese sauce and getting eaten by children. Cartoons are weird, right? That being said, broccoli, and even broccolini, does not have a terribly offensive flavor or texture. There is a mild grassiness to it, which is expected in any green vegetable, and a pleasant snap if cooked properly.. Even as a kid, I never disliked broccoli. It just did not taste like much, but it could be worse(try growing up with bitter melon at your childhood dinner tables and then tell me any green vegetable tastes more unpleasant than that). I actually like the little florets on top of broccolini because they are such a nice vehicle for additional flavorings and seasonings. So for this recipe, there are literally just two components – a cheddar-infused focaccia dough, and broccolini that is blanched and shocked, then marinated in a nicely seasoned olive oil. What I love about blanching and shocking vegetables is that the vegetables get this gorgeous, vibrant color to them, and also, they just soak up whatever you drizzle them in. I used a garlic-caper-herb oil in this case, to impart more savory flavor into the actual vegetables themselves, and that all then gets pressed into the soft, spongy cheddar focaccia dough right before everything gets baked together. The end result is a really cheesy, garlicky focaccia with crispy yet tender pieces of broccolini. It’s a nice way to carb-load while still getting some semblance of a green vegetable into your diet!

For the dough:
9oz bread flour
8oz water
1.5oz olive oil
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast powder
1 tsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
3oz grated cheddar cheese

In a bowl, knead together all of your ingredients, sans the cheese, until a smooth, elastic dough forms. To expedite this, I recommend using a dough hook attachment with a stand mixer. Once the dough is smooth on the surface and pulls away from the bowl in one piece, mix in the cheddar cheese and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for at least 1 1/2 hours. Afterwards, transfer the dough into a lightly oiled ovenproof pan(I used a cast iron, but any 9-inch cake pan would work as well).

For garnish:
4oz broccolini
6 cloves garlic
1oz capers
2oz olive oil
a pinch of salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme

Slice your broccolini in half lengthwise(you want them thinner, not shorter). Blanch the broccolini in heavily salted water for 10 seconds then shock them in cold water just to give them a vibrant color. In another bowl, mix together minced garlic, capers, olive oil, salt, oregano, and thyme, allowing everything to sit together for 5 minutes – this will help the garlic mellow out. Toss into that the broccolini, making sure that the broccolini is coated on all sides with the seasoning. Press the broccolini, and the seasoned oil, into the surface of the focaccia dough. Bake the dough at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Allow the bread to fully before attempting to remove from the pan.