Wednesday 5 December 2012

Focaccia

I have been thinking of tackling bread for a long time. It's on my list of things to try and has kept coming to mind lately. Today I had some semi-quiet time at home, as in, Reuben was out and Esther was at home. Despite the great opportunity, I frankly didn't feel like doing anything. I do get stuck like this as times. I tried to settle in to making christmas stockings for the kids, a job I was in the middle of at this time last year, when my whole world fell down around my ears and I haven't looked at them since. It didn't go very well. So I abandoned it and escaped to the kitchen, and, once again, getting out the flour and the mixing bowls and turning on the oven brought the life back to my bones.



The truth is I have actually made bread before. Funnily enough, it was another recipe that came from my brother's home economics classes that we persevered with for quite a while in our family. I remember my Dad making it quite regularly, even on a camping holiday in Pauanui! Lately the bread machine has renewed my enthusiasm for homemade bread, and I have enjoyed making rolls, using the bread machine to do the mixing and rising. 

So anyway. Focaccia. I'm going to be one of those annoying people who says although it takes a bit of time, and a bit of work, it really is quite easy. The time involved is mostly about waiting for it to rise, and doing the right things at the right time, so you need to be at home for a couple of hours. The effort is just the kneading of the bread, which you only need to do once. And the thing is, I enjoy doing this. If you don't enjoy it it would probably be a bit of a hassle, in which you can just rely on other people making your bread for you. Though, as my friend says to her children about new food, you don't have to like it, but you do have to try it once.

The only thing really different about making focaccia is the shape you press it in to just before baking, and the dressings you add to the top. I had intended to add rosemary to mine but I forgot(!). I was partly inspired to make this by an amazing bread I had the other night while eating out with TKR, MKR and SBJ. Next time I'll give that a go, so make sure you come back soon for a more exciting version.

Next time I'll try making my bread a little fatter, and will perhaps cook it for a couple of minutes less than the recipe suggests. But give it a try and see what your oven does, and what your belly thinks, and let me know how it goes.

The following recipe is from Marie Claire "Kitchen."


Focaccia

450g flour
Pinch sea salt
2 teaspoons dried yeast (or 15g fresh yeast)
1 teaspoon sugar
250ml (1 cup) warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil

Put the yeast and sugar in to the warm water and set aside for 10 minutes for it to start frothing.
Measure out the flour and add salt, then stir in the yeasty water and olive oil. Work the ingredients together then move to a floured surface. 

Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Place in to an oiled bowl, cover with a teatowel, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour. 

Turn oven on to 200 degrees. Put the dough on to an oiled 34 x 24 cm tray and press it out until it covers the tray. Use your fingers to make dimples in the dough and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sea salt.  

Leave to rise for a further 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes.

* For a slightly larger, moister bread, and more accurate salt measurement, I recommend reading my next post, Caramelised Onion and Blue Cheese Focaccia.




11 comments:

  1. beautiful photographs! mouth is watering. bring on the argentinian version!

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    1. I'm curious - what's the Argentinian version? I only had short very chewy baguette type loaves there which weren't very focaccia like. Sounds intriguing!

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    2. I wouldn't like to claim its origins, I'll just tell you which restaurant I had it in! Though if soaking up knowledge is my game, perhaps I ought to do some research.

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  2. I have hitherto had zero success with bread, and have been ruing the breakdown of my bread machine for a while now. This looks so lovely I might just give it a go, though.

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    1. Once again, I look forward to the report.

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  3. i have been looking for inspiration this evening, and have just found it. thank you very much :D

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  4. It's a loooooooong time since I have made bread by hand (my breadmaker gets used at least once every day), but this does look delicious and quite easy so I may have to try it. Perhaps Sunday will be a bread making day.

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    1. "Bread making day" sounds lovely. I'm very impressed with your bread machine use. I am sure the focaccia could be started in the machine and then just pressed out and baked in the oven. I don't know how the recipe compares with my bread machine roll recipe but I'll check it out and give it a try one ay or the other. Not that I am sensing any reluctance on your part to do it the old fashioned way, but I am still curious.

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    2. Saturday was baking day for the Ingalls family - one day to make all the bread, cakes, pies, biscuits, everything, for a pioneer farming family for the week. Sounds more fun than Monday which was washing day. With a tub of hot water and a blueing bag. Ugh.

      Anyway, just wanted to get a Laura reference in there :)

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