This focaccia is a favorite of many early Milk Bar regulars. It is the brainchild of our beloved James Mark and will go down in our history as the most delicious focaccia man has ever made.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 quarter sheet pan; serves 6

　　340 g Chinese sausages (12 ounces)

　　8 garlic cloves

　　150 g grapeseed oil (1 cup)

　　90 g toban djan (1/3 cup)

　　1 recipe Mother Dough (page 222), proofed

　　

Step 1

With a sharp knife, cut each Chinese sausage link lengthwise in half. Then slice each half into 12 half-moons. Cut the garlic cloves into thin slices on a bias—the thinner you can get them, the better.

　　

Step 2

Combine the oil, toban djan, sausage, and garlic in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes; the oil will turn a deep red color, the Chinese sausage will darken, and the garlic will become translucent. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, saving it for later. Set the sausage aside.

　　

Step 3

Punch down and flatten the dough on a smooth, dry countertop. Stretch the dough out gently by hand until it is slightly longer and wider than a quarter sheet pan.

　　

Step 4

Visualize dividing your dough lengthwise in thirds. Spread half of the sausage and garlic down the center third of the dough. Fold the right third of dough over it. Cover that layer with the remaining sausage-garlic filling, then fold the left third of dough over.

　　

Step 5

Gently lift the dough at both ends and transfer to the baking pan. Cover loosely with plastic and allow it to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Heat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 7

Once the dough has doubled in size and has filled every bit of the baking pan, use your fingers to gently dimple the top of the dough to make small indentations. Pour the spicy garlic oil around, not on top of, the dough.

　　

Step 8

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown.

　　

Step 9

Let the focaccia cool to room temperature in the pan before serving. If you attempt to cut into it while it is still hot or warm, it will seem gummy and underbaked.

　　

Step 10

Slice the focaccia into 6 pieces and serve at room temperature, or toast by flashing in a warm oven. The focaccia will remain delicious, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 3 days.

　　

Notes

Step 11

Feel free to substitute a mixture of shiro miso and a squirt or two of your favorite hot sauce for the toban djan (a Sichuan chile bean sauce). If both Chinese sausage and toban djan freak you out, you can substitute your favorite pepperoni and fresh or dried Italian seasonings in their place.

　　Reprinted with permission from Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi with Courtney McBroom. Copyright © 2011 by MomoMilk, LLC. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Christina Tosi is the chef and owner of Momofuku Milk Bar, called "one of the most exciting bakeries in the country" by Bon Appètit. As founder of the desserts programs at Momofuku, including Noodle Bar, Ssäat;m Bar, Ko and Má Pêche, Christina was most recently shortlisted for a James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef Award. Christina and her confections have appeared on The Martha Stewart Show and Live! with Regis and Kelly, among others. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her three dogs and eats an unconscionable amount of raw cookie dough every day.