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Thursday, March 1, 2012

For the Love of Bread

I am toast.

In the past four days, I have criss-crossed the country for work, racking up something like 8,500 flight miles and spending about thirty hours in either the air or airports. 

Ironically, it was the shortest piece of the travels, a mere 500 miles to Fairbanks and back yesterday, that really did me in.

Business travel isn't fun, but it doesn't particularly bother me either.  I missed the Oscars and my friends' Oscar party for the first time in years, although I did manage to win the Oscar pool in absentia.

Before I left, though, David and I had dinner with my friends Sondra and Stephan, who have a new baby.  This involved our making dinner at our house, packing up a small catering operation and hauling it down the road to their house.  We wanted to leave them with enough food for another meal, since their lives are so hectic right now.


One of the dishes I made was a classic focaccia alla genovese--focaccia from Genoa.  I can't help but note that when we went to Italy last year, David was dead set against going to Genoa, which is a large port town.  It isn't as flashy or famous as a lot of Italian cities, but the museums are fantastic and we had some very good food.

To speed up the process of making this bread, I turned the oven on to its lowest temperature (170 degrees) just prior to each of the bread rising periods.  I then turned the oven off when I put the bread in to proof and rise.  It sped up the process by a good hour, and the texture of the bread was fantastic.

I was sad to have left the rest of the bread behind, because I would have loved to pack a focaccia sandwich for my travels. 

Focaccia Alla Genovese with Thyme
Adapted from the CIA's Italian Cooking at Home

1 cup 2 percent milk
1 tsp. sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping bread
3/4 cup warm water
5 tbsp. good-quality olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. thyme, chopped
1 tsp. coarse flaked sea salt

Warm the milk on the stove or in the microwave to 100 degrees--I used a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.  Cool the warmed milk for a minute, then add the yeast and stir to dissolve.  Set aside for about fifteen minutes;  it should begin to foam.

In a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, two tablespoons of olive oil, the yeast mixture, the water and the kosher salt.  Mix on medium until the dough is smooth and elastic, about five minutes.

Warm your oven.  While it is warming, take the mixer bowl off the mixer, dust the top of the dough with all-purpose flour and seal tightly with plastic wrap.  Turn off the oven and place the bowl in it.  Let the dough rise until it is about doubled, about half an hour.

Flour a work surface and tip the dough onto it.  Using your hands, shape the dough into a rough square, then bring each of the corners to the center.  Turn the dough over and tuck the ends in so the dough is circular.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter to relax, about half an hour.

While it is relaxing, preheat the oven again.  Prepare your baking pan--I used a small paella pan, which worked perfectly.  Brush the pan with two tablespoons of olive oil, include the sides.  Then pat the dough into the pan using your hands.  Turn off the oven, cover the plan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise one more time.  This should take 30-40 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.  Press fingers lightly into dough to create dimples in it.  Combine the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and thyme and allow to steep while the oven is heating.  Then brush the bread with the oil and sprinkle the flake sea salt on top.


Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bread is a light golden brown.  Remove from the oven, cool slightly and cut into wedges.

Makes 10 to 12 good-size focaccia wedges.

32 comments:

  1. I want to try homemade Focaccia so bad. Yours looks just perfect. Totally drool-worthy!

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  2. We've made focaccia before, and it is hands-down one of my favorite Italian breads. It goes so well w/ anything savory, and as a sandwich it is positively addictive. Also, reading this was refreshing b/c when we made this in the little bakery we used to have, most folks that came in there were, like, "What's that pretty bread w/ the herbs on it?" and then next time asked for "fowcaysha" (if we were lucky). *sigh*

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  3. Thanks. I have been looking for a good Focaccia recipe. I tried one once but it was something like a two day process. I like yours better! 8,500 miles? Take a rest, you deserve it. I hope you can relax this weekend!

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  4. Gorgeous Bread!I've never made Focaccia, but absolutely love it.Would love to try it sometime :)

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  5. I bet you are tired,after traveling,that's alot spent 30 hours on air and airport :)
    I heared about this Focaccia bread,but I never have it,sound really Yummy bread,Great recipe,i'll mark this recipe !!
    Ridwan

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  6. This looks fantastic. I have never made it but am anxious to try.
    I haven't been on a plane in 20 years. Sad right!

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  7. I was just looking at focaccia recipes in my baking textbook today, wishing I could make some tonight. So glad to have come across your post, I can live vicariously through your focaccia making ways lol Have a great weekend, buzzed ya! =]

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  8. Seriously delicious bread here.... I love bread, homemade with the best ingredients available nothing better, its my weakness just <3 it! nice job my friend!

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  9. Focaccia is one of my very favorite flat breads. Thyme sounds like an amazing addition :)

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  10. This is some amazing bread, focaccia is pretty high on my favorites list. Yours looks fluffy and lightly toasted on top-just the way I like it. I do the oven thing to when there are a lot of rise times-it does help. Have a nice evening and try to get some rest!

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  11. Foccacia has long been on my list to try... I'm so intimidated by bread for some reason! Great idea using thyme in it - it's one of my favorite herbs!

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  12. I bet the house smells good after baking this. I know you are tired after traveling a lot.

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  13. That looks good and simple to bake. I like the tips on the turning on and then turning off the oven. This will be very useful for me bc I can bake but I need these little tips in between to polish my baking skills further.

    This foccacia will be great for our in between soups we have, dipping in will be heavenly in taste.

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  14. That looks lusciously good! Oh to have a slice of this beauty with my dinner tonight!

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  15. I so want to get comfortable with dough so I can make these beautiful breads. This foccacia looks amazing! You and your hubby are so sweet too to do such caring things like cook for your friends and make sure they have extra food with their hectic newborn filled lives. I hope you get to rest and relax for a while at home!

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  16. This bread kicks store bought out the window - looks wonderfully moist and delicious :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru
    Latest: Giant Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Peanut Butter M&M Cookie For One

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  17. That's like perfect, magazine quality foccacia bread! Wowsa :) Considering how busy you were this week that was a super nice gesture on your part! Hope you have a nice relaxing weekend!

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  18. Thanks Cucina for the buzz. My website is working now, for once I got scared when the blog disappeared from the web. Thanks Goodness everything is fine.

    I admire your cooking skills After so much busy schedule you bake bread. I have not seen that many people baking breads at home. Your foccacia turns out great.

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  19. Thanks everyone for the comments! I couldn't believe how proofing the dough in the oven cut so much time off the recipe. This is perhaps the least intimidating bread recipe I have encountered. I'm planning to do a variation on this over the weekend studded with olives and rosemary and make some focaccia sandwiches!

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  20. I love focacia and this recipe is similar to my own.. By the way I keep getting your comments om my website via email but somehow they do not appear on the site

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  21. Your focaccia looks perfect...and I love the addition of thyme! And what a wonderful thing to cook for your friends...I'm sure they loved every bite~

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  22. That looks delicious! What a nice thing to do for your friends....and you did a TON of traveling!

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  23. What a nice thing to do for your friends. Too bad you had to miss some of those parties traveling so much. Your focaccia looks wonderful though. I love those CIA cookbooks, they're always so helpful.

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  24. The focaccia looks simply delicious! So good you cooked for your friends!

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  25. This looks like a great focaccia recipe! Looks similar to one that I've been trying to replicate from one of my favorite brunch spots. I'm definitely going to try this out. Yum! (Holy cow you do a lot of traveling!)

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  26. Wow, you've been busy! Glad you had time to share this with us though because focaccia is one of my favorite breads!

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  27. Hopefully things calm down for you! I was traveling last week for work as well... it's mighty draining, no? Thank goodness for bread! :D

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  28. Focaccia is one of best Italian breads! Simple, rustic and simply divine.

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  29. LOVE focaccia - and what a great idea to use the heat from the oven to speed up proofing! Bread from scratch is just such a game changer. Looks fab :D

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  30. Home-baked foccaccia must be so special. I only eat it in restaurants... Hope this week is not as busy as last week and can relax a bit. :-)

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  31. I've tried my hand at focaccia a couple of times. But I never managed to get the little dimples to stay. I'll give your method a try, this looks absolutely delicious!

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  32. Oh did this I see this post at the right time! I made pizza crust for the first time today and it was so much fun that I was sitting here thinking that the next bread on my list to make was foccaccia! And here you are! I have bookmarked this and will probably be making it this week! Love, love love it! 8500 miles of flight in a week!?!?! That's a LOT of travel! You must enjoy it.

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