Focaccia
This matters to me because...
A friend suggested this relatively easy bread recipe in January, and I really wanted to make it. I also saw my brother make it earlier in the month, which motivated me even more. Finally, bread making is still something I'm not too familiar with, and given how this seemed like a forgiving recipe, I really wanted to try it out.
Ingredients
- Bread flour
- Active dry yeast
- Salt
- Water
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Rosemary
2 Comments
- The smell of yeast is so strong and distinct! I never really realized it until I had the yeast fully bloom for 5 minutes. I was also a bit concerned that I didn't bloom it properly. I added room-temperature water, but nothing really "happened". Some slight bubbling, but even then, it wasn't really noticeable. Guess it worked out though!
- I'm still not familiar with how to handle bread dough (or any dough for that matter). I'm sometimes tempted to just pull it apart and try to "restitch" it together, but that never works. I'm glad I didn't need to knead the dough by head; it would've not only been exhausting but also just daunting because of how unfamiliar I am with it.
2 Learnings
- I can let bread dough proof overnight. I started making the bread pretty later in the evening, and I was concerned I wouldn't have enough time to let the dough rise and proof. Luckily, apparently it's not only viable but even slightly encouraged to let the dough slowly proof overnight. I guess it helps with developing flavor.
- I did most of the baking on the very bottom rack of the over, then finished it at the top rack for 5 minutes. I liked that it led to a crispy base and top of the bread, though I may have left it on the top a bit too long, since I noticed some of the garlic was burned. I should've also added some salt to the infused olive oil to help flavor the garlic.