I saw this recipe online years ago, and it’s never left my brain – focaccia topped with Chinese sausage. We adore Chinese sausage. For any of you new to it, I encourage you to try it. Don’t worry, refrigeration isn’t necessary; you’ll find it randomly on a shelf at your Asian grocery store.

On my blog I’ve used Chinese sausage in eggs, in Chinese steamed buns, and a salmon and Chinese sausage stir fry. But I finally had to try the focaccia. Trouble is, I can’t find it. The recipe is by Christina Tosi, of Momofuko Milk Bar bakery fame that she opened in 2008. I don’t own any of her cookbooks as I’m no baker.

So I’m going to cheat and use a Ligurian focaccia recipe I’ve made for the blog that is pretty amazing. It’s from Samin Nosrat’s Netflix documentary Salt Fat Acid Heat, the same name as her 2017 cookbook. I think she’s pretty wonderful.

Ms. Nosrat learned the recipe from a local in Liguria, and the brine that’s used on top of the focaccia before baking creates a crispy salty top that is unique and delicious. It will be perfect with the sweet sausage.

Ligurian Focaccia
Adapted from Diego with the help of Josey Baker

For the dough:
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons honey
5 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan

For the brine:
1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
1/3 cup lukewarm water

Chinese sausage, peeled, thinly sliced
Toasted sesame oil, for finishing

In a medium bowl, stir together water, yeast, and honey to dissolve. In a very large bowl, whisk flour and salt together to combine and then add yeast mixture and olive oil.

Stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated, then scrape the sides of the bowl clean and cover with plastic wrap. Leave out at room temperature to ferment for 12 to 14 hours until at least doubled in volume.

Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons oil evenly onto a 18-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet. When dough is ready, use a spatula or your hand to release it from the sides of the bowl and fold it onto itself gently, then pour out onto pan. Pour an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil over dough and gently spread across. Gently stretch the dough to the edge of the sheet by placing your hands underneath and pulling outward. The dough will shrink a bit, so repeat stretching once or twice over the course of 30 minutes to ensure dough remains stretched. Dimple the dough by pressing the pads of your first three fingers in at an angle.

Top the focaccia with the Chinese sausage slices. Push them into the dough somewhat, so they don’t burn.

Make the brine by stirring together salt and water until salt is dissolved. Pour the brine over the dough to fill dimples.

Proof focaccia for 45 minutes until the dough is light and bubbly. Thirty minutes into this final proof, adjust rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until bottom crust is crisp and golden brown when checked with a metal spatula. To finish browning top crust, place focaccia on upper rack and bake for 5 to 7 minutes more.

Remove from oven and brush or douse with 2 to 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil over the whole surface (don’t worry if the oil pools in pockets, it will absorb as it sits). Let cool for 5 minutes, then release focaccia from pan with metal spatula and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

The focaccia was good, and you’ll love it if you like Chinese sausage and toasted sesame oil. But the sausage cooked too much for my taste. Next time I’ll use a lower temperature.