Robert Browning
as rustic as it gets…
Italian artisan bread…
Thicker than a pizza, this dimpled bread, focaccia, gets it’s name from the Latin word focus, meaning ‘hearth’ , because it was originally baked on an open hearth. Italian bakers use focaccia dough to make many different speciality breads, such as this ring, stuffed with fragrant pesto, or for that matter, with any other flavouring you might like ( quoted from Le Cordon Blue; The Cook’s Bible).
I made one with home made pesto, & the other with a mushroom, garlic, cheese filling (we liked the second one better). Other interesting alternatives include:
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Chopped fresh sage, crushed garlic, coarse sea salt & olive oil
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Finely chopped black or green olives
- Chopped sun dried tomatoes marinated in olive oil, shredded mozzarella & fresh basil
- Sauteed onions & chopped fresh herbs
Artisan bread is exactly what its name suggests: bread that is crafted, rather than mass produced. Baked in small batches rather than on a vast assembly line, artisan bread differs from prepackaged supermarket loaves in a number of ways. Special attention to ingredients, process, and a return to the fundamentals of the age-old bread-making tradition set artisan bread apart from soft, preservative-laden commercial breads. For a more complex, flavored artisan bread, the ingredients list might expand to include various other items, all of them recognizable: sliced onions, cheddar cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil. Bread has been around for centuries. No chemicals were added to the breads baked by ancient Egyptians or those mentioned throughout the Bible, and none are added to artisan breads now. 
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Proof the yeast by sprinkling it over 2 tbsps of warm water from the recipe & 1/2 tsp sugar. Cover & leave until frothy.
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Stir the flours + salt + dried Italian herbs into a big bowl & make a well in the centre.
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Add yeast + remaining water + olive oil. Mix to a dough.Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes.
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Shape into a ball, & place in a oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth, & let rise until doubles (1-2 hours).
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Punch down the dough, knead for 2-3 minutes, then let rest for 5 minutes.
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Roll about 1/3 of the dough into a 40 X 30 cm rectangle & spread the filling of your choice evenly over it, leaving a 1 cm border.
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Starting from one long side, roll into a cylinder. Pinch the seams to seal, but not the ends. Transfer seam side down, to a floured baking sheet, shape into a ring, & pinch ends to seal.
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Slice the ring at 5 cm intervals to within 2 cm of the centre. Gently pull out each slice & twist it over to one side to show the cut edge. Cover & let rise until doubled, 30-45 minutes.
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Brush lightly with olive oil, sprinkle over with coarse sea salt & bake at 190 degrees C until golden, 30-40 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
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Note: I made sandwiches from the other loaves the next day…filling them with shredded grilled chicken, tomatoes, onions, mozzarella & mustard.
Deeba, I love all the filling varieties you thought up (how bout mushrooms plus pesto? hmmm)… I really should go to bed, I’m getting hungry way past my bedtime and I end up snacking, haha!
Ooh… all those wonderful fillings and shapes! Forget dinner… I want your bread!
Ann at Redacted Recipes
Deeba, your breads all look lovely. I want to try this when the weather cools down.
Girl, why are you stressing me out like this. I have been thinking all day that I want some homemade bread, come here only to be tortured. The thing is, I want the bread but I am much too tired to go bake it. I wish you lived nearby.
hello talented lady. Your baking result for me always come out very nice and look delis.
would you interested to join with foodie event in order to celebrate our independence day? it is fun event. more info about it is on my blog ok. I look forward for your entry. you can tell your food blogger about this event too if you wish:)
Deeba – these look so professional! I love the idea of the filling actually.
Deeba – I am not a big bread baker but I am feeling very inspired here. Which recipe would you suggest for a beginner? I have a bag of wholewheat flour I want to use up. Thanks a ton!
delicious. did i say DELICIOUS???
Hey Deeba..that looks awesome!!!Yummy home-made bread!!
Hey Manggy, great to see you on a svaoury trail! Why do I asociate you with sweet?? hmmm…
I can just sit & nibble at bread too Ann…breaking bread is fun!!
Hey Ivy, this is Fine for warm weather too…no runny butter situation & it rises!!
Cynthia, wish I could mail you some…probably would get some stale, fuzzy bread though!! How u getting on with the book?
Got your earlier mail too Dwiana…am already thinking red, blue & white. I think Zorra also has a similar one for Switzerland day…BTW, thanks for the ever so sweet words :0)
Mallika…try the focaccia (earlier recipe). It uses a little whole-wheat flour…what’s your email?
Bee…gracias for buzzing by…
Divya…home-made is therapeutic; thanks girl!!
Hey Manggy, great to see you on a svaoury trail! Why do I asociate you with sweet?? hmmm…
I can just sit & nibble at bread too Ann…breaking bread is fun!!
Hey Ivy, this is Fine for warm weather too…no runny butter situation & it rises!!
Cynthia, wish I could mail you some…probably would get some stale, fuzzy bread though!! How u getting on with the book?
Got your earlier mail too Dwiana…am already thinking red, blue & white. I think Zorra also has a similar one for Switzerland day…BTW, thanks for the ever so sweet words :0)
Mallika…try the focaccia (earlier recipe). It uses a little whole-wheat flour…what’s your email?
Bee…gracias for buzzing by…
Divya…home-made is therapeutic; thanks girl!!
Oh Deeba!! Your house must have smelled wonderful.. They are both beautiful..but that stuffed ring is sooo calling to me! 🙂
tht looks so delish D. u are extremely talented 🙂
That looks gorgeous!
Looks professional, Deeba! I can imagine the delicious smells that must have been coming out of your kitchen. Delicious!! 🙂
This bread looks so cute and fun! Great work!
Oh Deeba, I could smell it from here! Yumm, yumm, and more yumm!!
This is unreasonable but I think I must go bake bread now. Your ring is gorgeous and now at 5 am I am so hungry!!
I’ve been scouring the internet for a good focaccia recipe 🙂 can’t wait to give this a try! love the elegant presentation with the indented portions!