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

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

Is 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!As 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.Often 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. Yet, 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.Of 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 poolishand 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!! 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


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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