Foccacia Dough

(courtesy of Cousteaux French Bakery)

1 medium russet potato
~1 pound, 1 ½ ounces (3 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Boil the potato until tender. Drain and put through a ricer or mash to yield 1 1 /3 cups. Let cool.

Combine the yeast, ½ cup flour, and ½ cup warm water in a bowl. Cover and set aside until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and potato. Knead the dough, either by hand or in a mixer until smooth and elastic. (If using a food processor, mix for 40 to 50 seconds.) Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Press dough into a well-oiled half sheet pan (using wet hands will prevent sticking). Cover the dough with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and close to double in size. This should take approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Top the dough with your choice of ingredients. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven until golden brown and crisp, approximately 23 to 25 minutes.