Spelt Focaccia with Swiss Chard and Roasted Garlic

A couple of months ago when I was in the throes of my limited diet, I found this focaccia recipe at Cook (Almost) Anything. Not only was it easy to make, but versatile and really tasty. Alas, it turned out spelt was not distant enough of a cousin to wheat and had to be exiled from my diet. Fast forward to now when my ear is healed and my beloved breadstuffs are once again consumable, I made this focaccia again. Just as great as I remembered!

The swiss chard and roasted garlic are my additions, so make whatever pleases you. The original recipe called for dusting the top with fresh rosemary and that was it - simplicity at its best. But being an avowed bread-aholic, adding vegetables to the focaccia assuages my guilty conscience! 

Spelt Focaccia with Swiss Chard and Roasted Garlic (from Cook (Almost) Anything)

2 1/3 cups spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch swiss chard, washed and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive, divided
30 cloves garlic, Not Peeled
salt
pepper

Combine flour, salt, and yeast in bowl and either sift or whisk briskly (and carefully!) to sift. Make a well and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and water and combine with spoon or rubber spatula until all incorporated. It will be a sticky dough. Transfer to counter top sprinkled with a bit of flour and knead for 20-30 seconds, just to bring it all together. Place in oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap (I use a cut open plastic bag and place a rubber band around the rim to secure it). Place in a warm spot and allow to double in size (inside my gas stove, the pilot light gives off enough heat so that it rises in about 90 minutes). Remove from bowl and scrape dough onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread dough out with your fingertips to evenly distribute it, about 1/2 inch thick. Allow to rise for another 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and toss garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Saute onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil until softened; add swiss chard and gently toss until it wilts and softens. Season with salt and pepper and turn off heat. Drizzle oil over focaccia dough and add swiss chard mixture to top of dough. Once garlic is cooled (5 minutes), squeeze garlic out of skins and place on top of focaccia. Bake for 25 minutes or until underside begins to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Cut and serve warm or at room temperature.

Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls at Very Culinary
Pesto Risotto with Roasted Zucchini at Post Punk Kitchen
Bagna Cauda at Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino