Foccacia Inspirations

If you read Accomplishing Bread then you know that I am in awe of bread-makers. And I don't mean the kind you plug into a kitchen outlet. I am referring to Farm Girl Susan , my friend Kelly and my mother-in-law. These women are the real deal.

Recently Farm Girl Susan posted an inspiring story of her new favorite flatbread, foccacia . I decided to see what my friends at Valley Natural Foods could share with me. Our demo coordinator found this recipe in Edward Espe Brown's The Tassajara Bread Book. The whole wheat flour gives it a different, nutty flavor and offers a good dose of whole grain nutrition.

FOCACCIA
2 Cups lukewarm water
2 tsp. salt
2 packages dry yeast
2-3 tsp fresh sage or 1 tsp. dried sage
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup or more unbleached white flour
¼ cup olive oil

Makes 8 rolls or baby breads.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix water and yeast, then stir in 2 cups of whole wheat and 1 cup of white flour. Beat well and let rise for 30 minutes. Fold in olive oil, salt, and sage and then fold in the second 2 cups of whole wheat flour and as much white flour as necessary to form soft dough. Knead the dough until it is elastic and smooth, using white flour as necessary. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, and roll out each piece to a thickness of 1 inch. Put them to rest on oiled baking sheets, and let them rise in a warm place about 25-30 minutes. Bake at 400 Degrees for 20 minutes or until slightly golden. Brush with a good olive oil while still hot.

In Minnesota we have seen a sharp increase in people diagnosed with gluten-intolerance. Gluten is the protein found in wheat so such a diagnosis eliminates bread. Unless you know how to reconfigure bread recipes without using gluten. The following recipe is one our demo coordinator prepared for a recent Gluten-Free Day.

GLUTEN FREE FOCACCIA
¼ cup butter
3 tbsp. honey
2 eggs
1 packet yeast (about 1 tbsp.)
1 cup plain yogurt, room temperature
½ cup potato starch
1 ½ cups cornstarch
½ tsp. baking soda
1 ¾ tsp baking powder
2 tsp. Xanthum gum
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp. vinegar

Topping:
1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh oregano
1 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. pepper
½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients. Mix well to remove all lumps. The dough will be quite wet. Spread dough to 1/3 - ½ inch thickness on greased baking tin. (Approximately) a 9 x 13 rectangle. Dough is easiest to spread with a spatula.

Our deli does not regularly make a foccacia bread, but the kitchen crew had an interesting tip for me. They said if you knead fresh ground cumin into the dough, it will give it a slightly sourdough-like finish. You can use this tip for foccacia or any other bread recipe.

The beauty of foccacia is that you can express creativity in your choice of toppings from aged cheese to kalamata olives. Try a variety if fresh herbs and experiment with your favorite olive oils to enhance herbal infusions. May this inspire you to play in the kitchen while it is still wintry outside and warm near the oven.