beXnlog

Focaccia #1

Last week be made his 2nd ever batch of homemade bread! Me, i'm scared of dough and i run at the sight of blobs doubling, tripling in size, so i stayed in the living room for most of it. His 1st bread attempt was back in Brooklyn, 2001, in the middle of a severe cold. He had an intense desire to make bread so i bought a few packets of yeast and he kneaded away, perhaps too intently as the bread came out more like a cement brick. Now, about 4 years later he gets hit with a focaccia craving so we again bought some yeast, some flour and read a few paragraphs in The Tassajara Bread Book, a hippyish yet detailed "bible" of breadmaking.

He decided to make the focaccia with fresh rosemary and sage, shaping the dough mass into two small loaves. It was a big job with all the mixing, kneading, waiting, punching, waiting and whatnot but it really paid off. By following the recipe exactly and carefully, the bread ended up wonderfully. The crusts were so perfectly crisp and hearty while the bread inside was soft and flavorful, with even sized bubbles and a good texture. Unfortunately, be was VERY disappointed because the bread wasn't exactly the kind he wanted, but a few days later he admitted it did end up quite well. I think it was because the recipe called for some whole wheat flour, which gave it a a denser, richer taste than if he used only white flour. Regardless, it's great toasted with a little butter!

posted by beXn @ 1:58 AM