Food + Stories
Recipe Development in Process
I remember ordering a sandwich from a restaurant and observing the bread with each bite. It was a vegetable sandwich. The juicy tomatoes and the crispy lettuce were sandwiched between two beautiful slices of bread that I was enjoying thoroughly. Firm on the outside, yet each bite was fluffy, chewy . . . It was amazing. I picked up the other half of the sandwich that was still on my plate, already sliced. I looked to observe the crumb of the bread. It was one of the best tasting breads I had ordered before. I scanned the menu in search of the description of the sandwich, and there it read focaccia bread. I started my research on focaccia bread that day.
What is Focaccia Bread?
Focaccia bread is an Italian bread that’s known for its dimples . . . and flavor, of course. The dimples can be done with fingers or the back of a wooden spoon. It’s a flatbread with high hydration, soaked in olive oil and sprinkled with salt. It’s light, fluffy, and chewy. It is one of the most loved breads in Italy.
How I Feel About Focaccia Bread.
I started baking focaccia bread months ago. I enjoyed ordering it and tasting it. I studied it and knew I was ready to try to make it. It. is. SO. GOOD! So good that I had more than one slice . . . or two . . . or three when I first baked it. LOL!! I mean . . . listen; I’m not eating focaccia bread every day, so that was okay. Lol! So why is the focaccia bread in recipe development, right? Well, not because of flavor. As a matter of fact, when it comes to everything I’m looking for in focaccia bread, I have it in the first recipe. Appearance (golden brown with sprinkles of kosher salt), feel (firm on the exterior, fluffy on the interior), flavor (beautiful (LOL!)), texture (soft, chewy, the crunch, crispiness on the edges).
I can and have many times, developed recipes without a lot of research. However, the more I developed recipes, the more I walked into my style of doing it. I love developing recipes and knowing about the common ingredients used and why they are used. It’s important to know the do’s and don’t’s of a recipe that’s not subjective. Learning about hydration in different doughs is always exciting. I choose what percentage based on what I’m looking for in the recipe. That’s something I knew about with other recipes. It’s nice to know that when baking bread.
I love the hydration level in this recipe. Take a look at the airy bubbles. Look at how the olive oil sits in those beautiful dimples in the dough. It may look like I have gone in overdrive with the dimples, however, food is like art. You paint your canvas in a way your family loves. It doesn’t take away from the flavor and I feel that this is my signature look of focaccia bread. Lol!
Pre-ferment.
I want to experiment with another leavening method. I am so curious about trying other ways of leavening bread. Basically, everything that is good about the focaccia bread may be heightened with a preferment method. Yes! Count me in. Lol.
My Ideal Focaccia Bread:
Crunchy, slightly flaky exterior. Beautifully crisp golden edges.
Moist, fluffy, chewy interior.
I will experiment with another leavening method.
I will use olive oil and water during the first rise.
I will use olive oil and water before the second proof, and a little more olive oil right before baking it, then sprinkle with kosher salt.
Good for snacking, as a complement to a dish, and as bread for a sandwich.
These are all the characteristics of my current recipe. This experiment will allow me to see if there’s a difference in the dough in any way. I can’t wait to try this. I plan to start the experiment in a couple of weeks.
Would you like to join me in developing your own recipe for focaccia bread? If not, you can wait until I experiment. I’ll post the recipe that’s best – the focaccia bread with or without the pre-ferment.
