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Milk Bar’s Chinese Sausage Focaccia

Chinese Sausage focaccia is made with a no knead dough, then stuffed with Chinese sausages and garlic. Making the sausage filling creates an incredible garlic chili oil that is perfect for dipping this stuffed bread into. You may not know you need this, but I know you do!

Chinese SausageFocaccia

Milk Bar’s Chinese Sausage Focaccia is fusion cooking at its finest. Though Milk Bar calls this focaccia, I’m more inclined to call it a stromboli, but the dough tastes like focaccia. Regardless. This focaccia/stromboli is destined to be one of my favorite snacks of the year. I’m not sure whether to call it bread or an appetizer or even a side dish; but one thing I can call it is good. You totally need this in your life and I’m looking at you…Mr. Super Bowl. What better time to serve this hearty, addicting bread with a Chinese sausage garlic chili filling, than at the game of the year? Frankly, I could care less about this game, but serve me this Chinese sausage focaccia and I’ll be your best fan!

So what the heck is Chinese Sausage Focaccia?

Chinese sausage focaccia is a great riff on focaccia. Similar to focaccia, only rolled up like a stromboli, with a Chinese sausage, garlic and chili sauce filling, this Asian Italian fusion mess may seem confusing I know, but all you really need to know is that this focaccia is incredibly divine. I served a slice with my Vietnamese Chicken corn soup to Manservant, and he was ready for seconds on his first bite. The chili oil that is created by cooking sausage and garlic and toban djan, is perfect for focaccia dipping, which Milk Bar never even suggested. One could cook with it, but don’t you recall when butter was taboo and olive oil with herbs appeared on every restaurant table? Remember how much fun it was to dip? Well, this oil is my new vice. Luckily, this recipe creates a bit, and I even have enough to stir fry with.

Chinese Sausage Focaccia

 Chinese Sausage; but where can I find it and what does it taste like?

Mysteries of the universe solved right here! Chinese sausage resembles Slim Jims. They usually come individually wrapped in sets of two with 12 sets of two in each plastic package. I find them at Asian groceries which I love to go too. It is a cheap way to travel when you don’t have a plane ticket. Just visit an ethnic grocery and I promise you will feel like you aren’t in the US anymore. But just in case you don’t want to venture out of your ‘hood, I happened to see Chinese sausages just last week at my local Kroger’s in the refrigerated Asian section.

What do these cute little sausages taste like? Well I buy lap cheong, a pork sausage that is dried and smoked and flavored with rice vinegar. They tend to be a touch sweet which gives them a very characteristic taste. In fact, if I ever got around to adding an Amazon shop here I could post the link. But I’ll post a link anyway. So there you go! No excuses. They last forever in the fridge, make great additions to fried rice and I promise once you have them you will find ways to use them!

Toban Djan? Am I throwing too much at you?

To create this marvelous chili oil, one cooks the Chinese sausage with oil, garlic and toban djan. Toban djan is just a word that translates to chili bean sauce. It is not hoisin sauce. Made from fava beans and soybeans it is fermented and sometimes blended with chilis. Lee Kum Kee has a nice version that I can find in the Asian section.

Chinese Sausage Focaccia

Can I make another version of this focaccia that isn’t Chinese?

By all means. This is focaccia, after all. Meaning this is Italian which makes me think pepperoni. Use pepperoni instead of the Chinese sausage and create a new dish. Instead of the bean sauce use ketchup or pizza sauce. Add in some Italian herbs. And pesto presto I think you’ve created  new recipe. Let me know how it works!

Enough words. I think it’s time to start baking. Lest you think you have to work hard at this kneading dough, no worries. This Mother Dough, which is quite versatile, is pretty dang easy to make. Even if you’ve never opened a package of yeast, this recipe is more than doable. In fact, let’s just consider it done!

Chinese Sausage Focaccia

What else to do with Chinese sausage? Check out these stir fried Brussels sprouts  with Chinese sausage from Foodie with Family. Need a classic focaccia? Saving Room for Dessert has a more traditional version with caramelized onions and tomatoes.

And a Few More:

Green Chile and Chorizo Bing Bread is a New Mexican spin on a Chinese bread!

DSC 2711 6.jpg2 001 6

Need a dip? Thai Coconut Peanut Pork Dip guarantees there will be an empty bowl!

thai peanut and coconut pork 5 1

Now Make this Chinese Sausage Focaccia. You will love it! They will love it.

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Chinese Sausage Focaccia

Milk Bar’s Chinese Sausage Focaccia

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Abbe Odenwalder
  • Prep Time: 30 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Total Time: 50 Minutes
  • Yield: 12 hearty slices 1x
  • Category: Bread/Appetizer
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Chinese/Italian

Description

Chinese Sausage focaccia is made with a no knead dough, then stuffed with Chinese sausages and garlic. Making the sausage filling creates an incredible garlic chili oil that is perfect for dipping this stuffed bread into. You may not know you need this, but I know you do!

 


Ingredients

Units Scale

Mother Dough

3 1/2 c flour

1 T kosher salt

1 packet or 1 1/2 t active dry yeast

1 3/4 c water

Chinese Sausage Focaccia

12 oz Chinese Sausage

8 garlic cloves sliced into very thin slices on the diagonal

1 c grapeseed oil

1/3 c toban djan


Instructions

Mother Dough

In a stand mixer, stir together the flour, salt and yeast using the dough hook like a spoon. No need to turn the mixer on yet.

By hand, while using the dough hook, slowly add the water util the mixture has come together in a shaggy mess. Now attach the dough hook to the machine and let the machine mix the dough on the lowest speed for three minutes. The ball should come together and become smoother. I did need to add a bit more water as Denver is so dry. If you need to add more water do it 1 T at a time.

Knead for 4 more minutes on the lowest speed. You want the dough to look like a ball that is wet. However it should bounce back when pressed gently with your index finger.

Brush a large bowl with oil and dump the dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough proof at room temperature for 45 minutes. HOWEVER: I let it rise overnight in the fridge, well covered. I removed it in the morning and brought it back to room temperature. How long this takes depends on how warm your home is. You can always preheat your oven to warm. Turn it off. Put the bowl of covered cold dough in the oven and keep the oven door propped open. This makes it rise quite nicely. (You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.)

Chinese Sausage Focaccia

Using a sharp knife, cut each Chinese sausage lengthwise. Then cut each half into 12 pieces, creating 24 half moons from each sausage.

Combine oil, toban djan, sausage and sliced garlic in a saucepan and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. The oil will turn a deep red color, the sausages will darken in color and the garlic will become translucent. Strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup, reserving it for later. Set the sausage mixture aside.

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 13 x 9 pan.

Now spread half of the sausage mixture down the center third of the dough. Fold the right third of dough over it. Spread the remaining sausage mixture on top of that and then fold the left half of the dough over that.

Gently lift the dough at both ends and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. You can press this a bit gently if you need to modify its shape. It probably will not turn out perfect. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. (I let this go almost double that and it was fine.)

Heat oven to 400. Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly brush with a bit of the reserved oil. I then sprinkled with sesame seeds, but this is optional. Pour a little bit of oil around the edges of the dough (NOT ON THE DOUGH) on the pan around the dough. (The oil will seep under the dough and create a nice crispy crust.)

Bake for about 15 minutes. The dough will not look golden brown but it should look done. If not bake a few minutes longer.

Let totally cool to room temperature before serving. It will be gummy if you slice it while it is hot. This easily slices into 12 good sized slices. It is best served the same day but can be reheated in a toaster oven and kept for almost a week if wrapped well. Not that I think it will last that long!

Serve with the remaining oil for dipping. I still have some oil and plan on using it for a stir fry! So good!


Notes

Thanks Momofuku Milk Bar.

Times below do not reflect rise times.

 

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Chef Mimi

Thursday 19th of January 2023

Oh my goodness I’m so excited! We love Chinese sausage! I just got some from Amazon, of course! For my husband’s birthday every year I have to make him steamed buns. I fill them with the sausage and squirt a little sesame oil, something my mother always did. And I always have leftovers, so I’m going to make this. Thank you!!!!!

Karen (Back Road Journal)

Sunday 27th of January 2019

What a creative idea, fusion food is so much fun!

mimi rippee

Thursday 24th of January 2019

Funny, I just ordered some Chinese sausage! (I can't get it where I live.) It's almost my husband's birthday and he always loves when I make chinese buns filled with sausage and a little sesame oil. I will certainly have leftover sausage, and I'll make focaccia. The sausage is also good in scrambled eggs. My mother you used make eggs that way.

Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)

Thursday 24th of January 2019

Looks like it's time to visit H-mart. This looks delicious Abbe. Pinning.

Juliana

Wednesday 23rd of January 2019

Oh Abbe...you are amazing...this is what you call fusion cuisine, somehow I never thought in using Chinese sausage for focaccia, and not only the sausage you used the toban djan...it is where Italy meets China...great recipe! I hope you are enjoying your week...