Thursday Night Focaccia

Good evening! This is Sam Voter ’25 writing to you live from the Greenhouse and I have just the thing to make your Thursday nights a bit more special. It is a little something called focaccia! As some of you loal Thursday dinner guests may know, Toby and I have been on a roll recently with homemade, fresh, warm, salty and extra fluffy focaccias. Not only is it stupid easy to make and rises in no time, but I also consider these breads as an act of service. Thursday nights are something special at St. Lawrence University, whether you are going to Java, getting’ down with your buddies, or cramming for a Friday morning quiz (sorry stem majors) there is always something going on. Fear not the trials and tribulations Thursday night may present you with a nice focaccia in your belly. This bread is hearty and it warms the soul. Whatever consumables you may consume are no match for it. Pretty crazy, right? Well, that is not all. It is also vegan! Do not ask me how it works, it just does. I know you are on the edge of your seat, but first I am going to tell you a little bit about myself! As mentioned, I am Sam. I hail from the great state of Maine straight out of the bustling metropolis that is Cornville. I am an enjoyer of many things, particularly fly fishing, canoeing, farm work and playing the banjo! I am a junior here at SLU, majoring in Environmental Studies with a good ole minor in film, and I am a member of the Greenhouse! Living here has been incredibly rewarding and by far my highlight of being at SLU. The connections you can make here with both members and the community are strong enough to last a lifetime, and being around so many people passionate about making this world a better place motivates me every day!

Now… the dirty deets (shout out to lovingitvegan.com)

Vegan Focaccia!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tablespoons of vegan butter

• 6 tablespoons of olive oil

• 3 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour (I usually throw in an extra half cup to keep it fun)

• 2 1⁄4 tablespoons of instant yeast (about 1 packet)

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of white granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1 2/3 cups of warm water (a little more if you add more flour)

• Seat salt (VITAL!!)

• Rosemary!

Directions
1. Get a big-ish bowl and mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt.

2. Before you get your hands dirty, grab a medium to large baking pan and lather that thing up with the vegan butter. I mean get in there. Leave no surface unlathered! This is super important, so the bread does not stick. Then, drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil onto the lathered pan and lather that in too!
3. Now, grab that bowl with your ingredients and pour in the water and two tablespoons of olive oil!

This is where you get dirty as I have found no better mixing tool than my own bare hands. The dough

should be kinda shaggy and a little sticky, not dry! If it is dry, just add some more water!

4. Dump that dough onto the lathered pan and just let it sit there. Do not touch it!! Let it chill however it falls (very important). Cover it with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, but honestly, just let it sit as long as you want. Who’s counting?

5. After it has risen, spread the dough all over the pan. Once flat, tap the top with your fingers to get that signature dumpy focaccia look. Drizzle on the rest of the olive oil (I always use more, like a lot more) and make sure it too is fully lathered. Sprinkle on the rosemary and sea salt! 

6. Bake that thing for 30 minutes at 450 degrees until golden brown. If you lathered properly, it should pop right off the pan!

I hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to sign up for Greenhouse dinners! The last round of signups will be coming out in a couple of weeks so stay alert!

Peace, Luv, n’ Veggies! The Greenhouse