Cosmic Crisp® Garden Focaccia

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbling and aromatic.
2. In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, grated apple, salt, ½ cup of the olive oil and the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed. Once the dough comes together, continue to mix for 5 minutes on medium speed until mixture is smooth and soft.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand 3-4 times. Coat the inside of a bowl with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
4. Coat a 17-inch x 11-inch sheet pan with the remaining ½ cup of olive oil and place the dough in the pan. Press the dough out to the edges. Flip the dough, coat the other side with olive oil, and continue to stretch the dough to fill the pan by pushing your fingers into the dough causing divots or holes.
5. Place the pan in a warm place until doubled in size for a second time, about 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 425°F degrees.
7. Decorate the focaccia with apples slices and herbs.
8. Sprinkle with flake salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into squares. Serve warm.

To make the Cosmic Crisp® Garden Focaccia even more festive:

1. Slice off the side of a Cosmic Crisp® about 3/8-inch thick. Place skin-side up at the bottom of the focaccia to make the flower pot. Slice another Cosmic Crisp® vertically through the center about ¼-inch thick to create tulip-like flowers. Arrange the green onions so they are coming out of the pot to form flower stems. Place one slice of Cosmic Crisp® at the end of each stem to finish the tulip.
2. Cut a Cosmic Crisp® through the center and cut slices about ¼-inch thick. Using an apple blossom cookie cutter, press into each slice to create a flower. Place at the top end of the green onions on the focaccia.
3. Make Cosmic Crisp® blossoms by overlapping very thin slices of Cosmic Crisp and carefully bending into a circle. Insert a toothpick thorough the blossom to secure. Arrange on the focaccia as desired.