Focaccia

The Bread Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum, is one of my go-to cook books. She is clear and precise in her explanations. If you like bread, I would recommend her book.

That said, I have not had the best of luck with Foccacias. I always have the same problem - the bottom when baking. I just cannot get enough heat into the bottom quickly enough. It is usually perfect around the edges but goes slightly pasty looking toward the center.

My current, and very unsatisfactory solution, is to flip the bread over once the top is done and but it back in the oven on the middle rack under the broiler set on high. It is an inelegant solution to a bread that deserves better.

My personal experience is that foccacias with a boiled, mashed potato in them brown better and more consistently.

Initial stage of the Foccacia

When I put all of the ingredients together the first time, I didn't think that this bread would ever bake off. I watched an episode of Great British Bake Off years ago where several of the contestants suffered from the same fear, so they added flour until it fit their definition of a bread dough. The host chided them for not following his recipe.

Foccacia climbs the beater

Despite my baking frustrations with this bread, it is one of my favorites before the baking begins. It is a lovely, beautiful bread that deserves better than I have been able to give it.

This is a bread that takes about 20 minutes to knead in my Kitchenaid mixer set on #4. I set a timer for 15 minutes and do other stuff while the mixer does its work. During this initial stage of beating, it will be loud as the the dough is slung around the bowl and slap the sides. As the gluten develops, the sound changes and softens. Gradually the gluten will build up and form long strands. 

Eventually, the dough will begin to pull away from the sides. This is when you have to start paying attention because the dough will begin to climb the beater, right up into the spring and housing of you mixer. That is when I call myself done.

When the dough is thoroughly kneaded, it will be lustrous and shiny. In the above picture, I have pulled the beater up and the dough is flowing down, back into the bowl. I find it mesmerizing.

Foccacia pours

Pour the dough into a marked container so that you will know when it has doubled.

The foccacia has doubled in volume

During the winter, I often turn my oven into a proofing box by putting hot water into the oven with the dough that is to rise. If you are in a hurry, this will cut your rising times.

Foccacia can hold huge air bubbles

When the dough has risen, pour it out on to a parchment lined baking sheet and spread it around the pan.

A nice top on the foccacia

Rose Levy Beranbaum's Foccacia

serves 18

2 3/4 cups of flour

3/8 tsp of yeast

2 cups water

3/4 tsp sugar

3/4 teaspoon of salt

2 TBS olive oil

1/4 tsp of course sea salt (reserved)

1. Mix the dough with the paddle attachment (see above) until it climbs the paddle. Do this on a medium-high speed.

2. Pour dough into oiled rising container and let rise until doubled in volume.

3. Pour dough on oiled baking sheet and spread into corners with oiled hands. Let rise until doubled in volume.

4. Preheat oven to 475 for 1 hour. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on the lowest level.

5. With oiled fingers dimple the top of the bread. Really push your fingers through the dough to the pan. Sprinkle dough with sea salt and bake until golden brown.

Foccacia Nutrition Facts