Wild Ramp Focaccia

Close up of the unbaked focaccia prior to going into the oven.

Ramps are like that cool friend that calls you on a random day to go for a beautiful hike

You don’t hear from them that often but when they give you a phone call, you know you’re going to have a good time. I think that makes for nice analogy of one of my favorite spring time ingredients. Ramps are a hybrid between onion/garlic. They can be found in the late spring in wooded areas and farmers' markets. Do not confuse wild ramps with garlic scapes. Food & Wine does a good job of comparing the spring alliums, here. Ramps are pinkish white at the bottom, with a small bulb that has an onion flavor while the leaves taste more of garlic. I love using them in pickles, scrambled eggs, or in salsas over grilled meats. Thank you to D’artagnan Foods for sending me this beautiful ramps!

The base of this recipe comes from King Arthur Flour. I made a few adjustments to include our lovely bundles of leaks. You can absolutely make focaccia in one day without doing an overnight proof or using sourdough starter. I like using the starter because it gives the focaccia a great spring in the oven as well as a tangy taste. The key with making good focaccia is to use an ungodly amount of olive oil both when the dough is baking. This ensures that the focaccia gets a crispy crust. So if you think you’re using too much olive oil, add a little bit more.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients for Focaccia

• 1 1/2 cups (340g) sourdough starter, recently fed within 4-6 hours

• 1 1/2 cups (340g) lukewarm water

• 6 cups (720g) King Arthur All-Purpose Flour

• 6 tablespoons (74g) olive oil, plus another 1/3 cup for cooking

• 1 tablespoon (18g) salt

• 2 tablespoons (43g) honey

• 1 tablespoon instant yeast

• 5 oz (~140g) wild ramps, from D’artagnan Foods

• Flakey sea salt for finishing

Directions

1. Clean the ramps. Separate the ramp bulbs from the ramp leaves. Chop the bulbs into small pieces. Roll the ramp leaves together and chiffonade, or thinly slice. Keep separate and set aside.

2. Combine the starter and water in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour with the starter, water, thinly sliced ramp leaves, and remaining ingredients except the ramp bulbs. Mix and knead for ten minutes. If you're using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix for five to seven minutes. The dough will be sticky but it should slightly spring back.

3. Grease a bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough and allow to rise for an hour to an hour and a half. Cover with a clean dish cloth. The dough should grow in size by a third to double.

4. After the first rise, gently punch the dough and let it rise for another 60 minutes. Cover again with a clean dish cloth.

5. Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil into a rimmed baking sheet or 13x9-inch casserole dish. Transfer the dough to the pan, and turn it over to coat it with the oil. Gently stretch the dough into the edges and corners of the pan. Lightly press your fingers into the dough to keep the shape of the pan and fill the corners. Do not press too much, you don’t want to deflate the dough.

6. Cover the pan and allow the dough to rest for another 45 minutes to an hour. If you want, you can place into the fridge for a cold, bulk fermentation overnight for 12-18 hours. Just be sure to remove from the fridge an hour before you bake to come to room temperature.

7. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Right before baking, gently dimple the dough with your fingers. Again, be gentle so you don't deflate the focaccia. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle the chopped ramp bulbs, and a bit of flakey sea salt onto to the dough.

8. Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove the focaccia from the oven. Finish with another drizzle of olive oil. Cool for ten to fifteen minutes before turning it onto a rack.