Hot dog focaccia

Somewhere between a hot dog and a really good piece of focaccia, this is summer food at its most fun. Use your favourite same-day focaccia dough, nestle the hot dogs right into the top and bake everything together until the bread is golden, crisp around the edges and soft underneath. Bring the whole pan to the table with mustard, pickled hot peppers and cold beer, then cut between each hot dog to create generous individual portions.

Serves: 6–8
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus focaccia rising time
Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
Total Time: Depends on your focaccia recipe

Ingredients:

Greek Chicken

• 1 batch of your favourite same-day focaccia dough

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan and finishing

• 6 CPF Chicken, Pork or Beef Hot Dogs

• Flaky sea salt

• Mustard, for serving

• Pickled hot pepper rings, pepperoncini or hot peppers, for serving

Instructions:

1. Prepare the focaccia dough according to your favourite same-day recipe.

2. Generously coat a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan and gently stretch it toward the edges. Let it complete its final rise according to your recipe, until noticeably puffy and filled with bubbles.

3. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

4. Lightly score the tops of the hot dogs in a crosshatch pattern, if desired. This gives them a little extra texture and helps the edges brown as they bake.

5. Drizzle the risen dough generously with olive oil. Using oiled fingertips, press deep dimples across the surface.

6. Arrange the hot dogs over the dough, spacing them evenly apart, then gently press them down so they are nestled securely into the focaccia without being completely covered. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and finish the exposed dough with flaky sea salt.

7. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the focaccia is deeply golden around the edges and cooked through in the centre. If the bread needs more colour, bake for a few additional minutes.

8. Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before cutting or tearing into portions.

9. Serve warm with plenty of mustard, pickled hot pepper rings and extra napkins.

Tip:

The number of hot dogs you need will depend on the size of your pan and how you want to portion the focaccia. Six fit nicely in a 9 × 13-inch pan, but you can add more for smaller, individual pieces.

For extra flavour, scatter a little grated cheddar, thinly sliced onion or chopped pickled jalapeño over the dough before baking. Keep the additions fairly light so the focaccia can still rise and become beautifully airy.