Roasted Garlic Foccacia
BAKING,  BREADS,  SAVOURY,  VEGETARIAN

Baking | Roasted Garlic Foccacia … & a salute to the ‘Fukushima 50’!

2011/03/18 / 60 Comments

“All sorrows are  less with bread.”
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Roasted Garlic FocacciaIs it just me, or does time really seem to crawl when you want life to get back to normal? Japan is still battling its worse ever crisis, the world looks on with fingers crossed, living in hope that things will get better. Hope rests on unlikely heroes, a band of brothers who work tirelessly round the clock with strength and resilience, reflecting the true spirit of the nation they belong to. The Fukushima 50, the bravest of the brave, put their lives on hold while they battle radiation risks to save impending disaster. The world salutes your spirit!Roasted Garlic FoccaciaAs my mind is overtaken by thoughts of Japan, the bread I post today is simple yet comforting,  a good classic bread with deep taste.  A few days ago, I had this obsessive desire to bake bread. The weather here is changing, warming up rather quickly, an indication that bread baking days are back again.Roasted Garlic FoccaciaOften I forget to begin the bread process the previous evening; just don’t plan right. It’s such a bother! I’d had focaccia on my mind for a few days. That morning, leafing through my cookbooks and recipes {including Ottolenghi & Peter Reinhart}, figured I was late for the poolish again. Poolish is like a starter, a mother dough, and is also referred to as a pre-ferment or biga. Roasted Garlic FoccaciaYet, bread I HAD to bake! The insane idea didn’t want to leave my head, so it was back to the net,  proving for the  infinite time that net dependency is something that isn’t easy to shake off! One of the first matches for ‘same day focaccia ‘ led me to Pease-Pudding! What’s not to love about the name? One step into the delicious blog and it was time to bookmark. Pease-Pudding is hosted by a North English lass who lives in New Zealand. She loves peas and she loves pudding, has a passion for desserts, hence the name.Roasted Garlic FoccaciaOf the bread she said on her post, “I have made the bread three times now and each time it turns out perfect. The difference with this dough is that it is more like a wet ‘poolish‘ and not one you knead.”  We absolutely loved the focaccia. The crust and texture of both the inside and the outside were addictive. It was obvious why she had made it thrice in a week. I would too!!Roasted Garlic Foccacia A handsome splash of extra virgin olive oil, a couple of heads of roasted garlic in the dough, a sprinkling of fresh oregano, sea salt & more garlic on top. I couldn’t have asked for better, more  comforting bread! It’s simple, is ready to bake in a couple of hours, and the olive oil lavished on top gives it a beautiful crust. Not sure if the addition of vital gluten had anything to do with it, but the insides were airy, light and delightfully chewy. 

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Recipe:Roasted Garlic Focaccia

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By Deeba @ PAB
Published: 2011/03/19

One of the best breads I’ve made recently. I found the recipe at yet another wonderful blog from Down Under, NZ actually, while searching for for a ‘same day focaccia recipe‘.

Minimally adapted from Pease-Pudding

Cooking time: 30minutes | Diet Type: Vegetarian | Yield: 4-6 | Culinary Tradition: Italian

Ingredients
500g plain flour
3 tbsp vital gluten
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoon dry yeast
1 head roasted garlic, mashed with a fork
1 ½tsp teaspoon salt
500 ml luke warm water
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Topping:
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced fine
Fresh oregano leaves

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 200C. In a large bowl mix with your hands flour, sugar and yeast.
Pour in the water. Add salt, roasted ,if using, and knead in the bowl for 5 minutes. Eventually add more water.
{Thermomix: Place flour, sugar and yeast in TM bowl. Run at speed 10 for 6-7 seconds. Add remaining ingredients, including the olive oil, other than the toppings and run on interval speed for 2 minutes {Don’t leave the machine unattended in interval mode}. Proceed…
Pour in about 3 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil and mix it so the oil covers the dough and goes down the side of the dough.
Allow to rise covered with plastic wrap for about 1 hour or until it doubles.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Grease with plenty of olive oil a shallow oven dish or a baking tray with edges. Pour the dough into this without kneading any further. {I used 2 round 8″ Victoria sandwich tins}
Generously pour extra virgin olive oil onto the focaccia and press with your fingers to create multiple wells. Add toppings.
The focaccia does not need rising at this stage {but it does not harm it. It will just make it thicker}.
Bake for about 20 – 30 minutes until risen and light golden brown.
Notes: I added vital gluten because we don’t get strong bread flour in India.
Copyright © Deeba @ Passionate About Baking

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deeba

About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.

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60 Comments

  • bellini

    2011/03/18 at 4:21 pm Reply

    Something else I have learned from trhe blogging world. Now I have to Google vital gluten because I have never heard of it until now. It sure does wonders for the foccacia!!!.

  • Simone

    2011/03/18 at 5:07 pm Reply

    O that is just the recipe I need!! I have a friend coming over for cooking on sunday and wanted to make a focaccia.. This seems like the perfect one to me so just printed the recipe!
    And you are so right about the brave man (and maybe women too?) who are fighting at the Fukushima plant.. I was watching yesterday on the news and well, it’s just almost too gruesome to think about…

  • Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food

    2011/03/18 at 5:32 pm Reply

    Oh, Deeba, just look at the perfect texture you’ve achieved in this foccccia, with all its lovely airy voids! And the flavors you’ve used here are right up my alley. I’m definitely making your recipe, rather than my own, from now on.

  • Suma

    2011/03/18 at 6:13 pm Reply

    The focaccia looks just wonderful Deeba! I have been meaning to try a poolish focaccia since some time, but haven’t yet tried as I find the thought intimidating. This sounds pretty quick, I must try it one of these days. I love gluten in my bread too as I find it does improve the texture..

  • Hima Raj

    2011/03/18 at 8:21 pm Reply

    Wow!!! I really liked your focaccia. It looks amazing and just the right texture. And not to forget your presentation skills and photograpgy. Its just excellent!!!

    dumuki.blogspot.com

  • Barbara | VinoLuciStyle

    2011/03/18 at 9:38 pm Reply

    Bread. Garlic. Olive Oil. You’ve hit my nirvana. We love our Foccacia but so often follow an old standy recipe I love of rosemary and sea salt; now just dying for real to goodness garlic bread.

  • Prerna@IndianSimmer

    2011/03/18 at 10:51 pm Reply

    Really, its so terrible what people have to go through in Japan and if not for these brave people things would have been worse that it already is right now.
    That bread looks GORGEOUS. I bought something similar to this from my nearby bakery yesterday for a holi party we are hosting this weekend but now this post of yours made me feel that I could have done it all by myself! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe Deeba.
    BTW: Shooting you an email right now!

  • Heavenly Housewife

    2011/03/18 at 11:18 pm Reply

    What a beautiful foccaccia! You are right, there is nothing more comforting than some fresh baked bread. You know what they say, “bread is the staff of life.”
    Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead.
    *kisses* HH

  • Heidi @ Food Doodles

    2011/03/18 at 11:25 pm Reply

    That foccacia looks gorgeous! I can just imagine that it smells amazing. I will have to try this 🙂

  • Ananda Rajashekar

    2011/03/19 at 12:47 am Reply

    I always wanted to try, i knew i would always mess it up, i’m encouraged seeing ur pictures Deeba, they are so airy and feels like it will melt it right away ….and gorgeous pictures!

  • Simple Gifts

    2011/03/19 at 9:51 am Reply

    Love the props, the rotated angles, the images are a treat, plus, the bread looks like it is still warm. A delight to review.

  • tasteofbeirut

    2011/03/20 at 5:18 am Reply

    I think your first photo is a masterpiece; I don’t really care what the bread tastes like, although I am sure it is superb, the photo is absolutely incredible. You are such an artist. I am in awe.

  • Alli

    2011/03/22 at 6:10 am Reply

    The bread looks fabulous and what gorgeous photo shots of it. many thanks for the referral and I hope you enjoy many more foccacia days to come! I always always make it for a friends son when they come to dinner, he is 5 and loves it very much.

  • kankana

    2011/03/24 at 12:20 pm Reply

    I am sure you are aware of this and you must have heard this a zillion time and yet I will say this again … you are one of the best food stylist I have seen so far .. the collages are beautiful .. complimenting each other .. amazing … JUST AMAZING. You should give us some gyan on styling and photography .. seriously ! 🙂

  • Himanshu

    2011/10/31 at 10:14 pm Reply

    true Deeba, we don’t get strong bread flour in India. Last time I made foccacia for a dinner party at home, it didn’t puff up much and was a little hard. Seems, this vital gluten does wonder to the all purpose flour. Could you please tell, where can I find this in Gurgaon?

  • meenakshi

    2012/07/18 at 12:41 pm Reply

    hello mam, really your recpies inspires me to make things, how hard i resist myself no that i am not going to make anything today .again when i was surfing your blog , this beauty caught my eyes to make it. but my mind is always full of questions to ask before making anything- first have you used active dry yeast ,secondly did you bake it in the middle rack with bottom rod of the oven switched on? can you please give a tip that how to store a loaf or any kind of bread soft after baking?
    thanks

    • Deeba @ PAB

      2012/07/23 at 8:29 am Reply

      Hi M…sorry for the delay
      1.First have you used active dry yeast – I have used dry active yeast
      2. Secondly did you bake it in the middle rack with bottom rod of the oven switched on? – Yes in the middle rack with the bottom element on, and then the both the top and bottom for a while to colour the bread
      3. How to store a loaf or any kind of bread soft after baking? – Once cool, you can clingwrap the bread before storing it to trap the moisture in. IMHO, homemade bread is best enjoyed fresh and warm.

  • meenakshi

    2012/07/24 at 3:04 pm Reply

    thanks a ton for giving your time and replying to my each query.
    once again a big THANKYOU.

  • Vijeta Nanda

    2013/05/15 at 10:04 am Reply

    Hi Deeba, ur posts are so so inspiring… I’m determined to bake this focaccia bread today, but have no idea about vital gluten & its very difficult so search for baking stuffs in Kolkata. Is there a replacement for this ingredient?

  • Priyanka

    2013/12/04 at 1:52 pm Reply

    Hi Deeba,

    Landed on your blog from the white ramekins blog. Both the blogs are superbly amazing in terms of recipes, photos and presentation. 🙂

    I love to bake bread. Its just therapeutic and heavenly. I was going through your bread recipes and they are really nice. I have one question though. I do not want to use vital gluten. Is there any substitute to the same in terms of yeast or flour ratio or rising times.

    Let me know if there is. Thanks again 🙂

    Priyanka
    http://www.myadventurewithfood.in

      • Priyanka

        2013/12/05 at 2:07 am Reply

        Thanks for the quick reply Deeba. I have tried other recipes without gluten and they turned out well too. Saw the ingredient in your recipes so thought would ask you. Thanks a lot. I will skip the gluten and try your bread recipes. Would let you know how they turned out. 🙂

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