[chouxbacca]

hey there all u baking buffs, I am having a litle dilemmna. My friend is getting married in three weeks, and I wanted to make something. I would really like to make some herb, sundried tomato (oil packed of course) jalepeno and cheddar foccacia, but I dont know how to make the simple dough. I have the 6th edition of the new prof. chef by the cia, but kyle (I think) said that some of the recipes dont work, so I dont really trust that one, plus the recipe makes like 3 times more bread than I would like. I only need like 4 lbs of dough or so.
Please help me!!!

 

[thebighat]

I would beat feet to a bookstore and copy (or buy) Crust and Crumb and use his focaccia formula. I use it all the time and it is foolproof, and tasty.

 

[isa]

There is a focaccia recipe I have tried in The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger. It yield on 17 by 11 inch focaccia. I always make half a recipe and cook it in a round pizza plate. I make it regularly, always turn out great.


The original recipe is for an olive focaccia. An olive pesto, she gives the recipe, is spread on the focaccia before baking.


If you would like the recipe just let me know.

 

[chouxbacca]

that would be great iza! most appreciated guys

 

[isa]

There you are Chouxbacca. Hope you’ll enjoy it. A few comments, I never grease the pan, there is no need for it. The focaccia cooks in about 12-15 minutes at 450°F when you make it without the pesto.


Focaccia


1 tablespoon active dry yeast (1 package)
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (exact measure)
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water
1 cup hot milk (120°F)
¼ cup olive oil


In a large bowl with a whisk or in the work bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast, 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Add the hot water, hot milk and the olive oil. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes, Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bol is formed. Switch to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand. The dough will be sticky, soft and oily. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, drizzle the sides with a bit more olive oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Oil or parchment-line a 17x11 inch baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto the baking sheet. Spread and gently pull the dough flattening it to fit the entire baking sheet. Let rest uncovered at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 8F, with a baking stone on the bottom rack if desired. Place the sheets or pans directly on the hot stone, if using, or on the lowest oven rack and bake 15 minutes. Reduce the oven thermostat to 350°F and continue to bake until golden and the bread springs back when pressed gently, 20 minutes more. Let coolin the pan 5 minutes. Using a spatula, loosen the sides with a knife and slip the bread out carefully onto a clean dish towel or to a cooling rack. Cool and serve at room temperature.

 

[pjm333]

CHOUX
HERE IS A RECIPE THAT I HAVE USED FOR YEARS..IT MAKES 2 1/2 SHEET PANS

1 OZ OR 4 PKG YEAST
1 CUP WARM WATER

1 CUP SCALDED MILK- COOLED DOWN
1 1/2 CUPS WATER
4 T SUGAR
8 CUPS A.P FLOUR
1/3 CUP OLIVE OIL
3 T SALT
MIX YEAST & WATER AND LET SIT 10 MIN , ADD MILK,WATER, SUGAR & 4 CUPS OF FLOUR.MIX WITH PADDLE UNTIL BLENDED AND LET STAND 1/2 HR TO MAKE "SPONGE" ADD REMAINING 4 CUPS OF FLOUR,OIL, AND SALT AND MIX WELL..LET DOUGH DOUBLE IN VOLUME & CUT IN HALF..ROLL OUT EACH 1/2 IN OLIVE OIL AND PLACE ON OILED 1/2 SHEET PAN.PRESS DOWN ALL OVER DOUGH WITH FINGERS AND SPRINKLE GENEROUSLY WITH OLIVE OIL AND SLAT & PEPPER LET RISE IN WARM SPOT FOR ABOUT 1/2 HR..BAKE 425 UNTILL GOLDEN BROWN

PATRICK

 

[anneke]

Chouxbacca, how much time do you have? The best focaccia I've ever tasted takes 3-4 days to make and requires very little yeast, a starter and lots of resting. Let me know if you're interested.

 

[w.debord]

I'm interested if you have the time to post it Anneke?

Someone told me the recipe in 'baking with Julia' was pretty good...

P.S. When Focaccia first showed up in American kitchens I was seeing and using recipes where it was thin, more like a pizza crust. We'd season/top it pretty heavy and get a really crisp bottom on it, no way you could slice it in half to make a sandwich. We'd cut it in wedges and serve it with Italian buffets.
Now I only see thicker breads around 1 1/2" or more and their pale with seasoning/toppings. Their baked in sheet pans instead of on stones and are more bread like.
So what is the definative Focaccia height/thickness?

 

[momoreg]

The foccaccia you see in Italy is thick and soft enough to cut it with a knife. It's about an inch thick; maybe a bit less.

 

[kylew]

I can't/won't take responsibility for questioning the CIA I've never seen that book. Focaccia is one of the things I am learning about. Like TBH said, the Crust & Crumb formula seems to work pretty well. Momoreg points to a good benchmark. Why not shoot for a focaccia that looks like the ones in Italy? Here in the good ol' U.S of A. we tend to Americanize baked goods; biscotti the size of 2x4s, scones you could sleep in etc. etc. My first few focaccia were 3/4" -1" high. I was a little disappointed. Now it seems as though I might not have been far from the mark

 

[chouxbacca]

Thanks anneke, the wedding is on the 17th, so there's plenty o time to do it. I am super interested in any, and everybodies idea's! can't learn too much about food , and there is nobody I know that I trust as much as you guys when it comes to food, and I am sorry kyle, I didn't mean to point any fingers, I saw a post about the new proffessional chef that somebody posted saying that the 7th was the best ever, and that some of the 6th ed's. recipe's didn't work. Couldn't remember who it was.

 

[kylew]

No harm, no foul

 

[anneke]

Here's the recipe we use:

For the starter, mix together 940gr bread flour with 5gr fresh yeast and 940 ml tepid water. Rest overnight at room temperature.

The following day, add the starter to 6 lb 9oz bread flour, 3 tbsp salt, 1/2 c olive oil, and 1/2 c milk. Knead til it looks right (I'm a beginner still trying to figure that out.). Allow it to rest overnight in the fridge.

Roll it out the next day on greased half trays (about 3lb 4oz per loaf), no more than 3/4 inch thick. Brush olive oil on top, wrap and rest overnight in fridge.

Next day, proof four hours. Do the ol' characteristic poking of the fingers in the dough, sprinkle coarse sea salt, roughly chopped rosemary, cracked black pepper (all up to you).

Give your hot oven a couple of sprays and bake 20-30 minutes til golden on the bottom.

I've actually incorporated pitted cured black olives to the dough once, and it was splendid.