tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post116458397806474338..comments2023-10-22T17:07:37.075-05:00Comments on breadbasketcase: Rosemary Focaccia--two ways!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15187362927261194164noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-29393087911596524262007-12-14T15:57:00.000-06:002007-12-14T15:57:00.000-06:00Steve,Are you a detective, by any chance? You sho...Steve,<BR/>Are you a detective, by any chance? You should be one. It never occurred to me that the different outcomes could be because of the mixer attachment I used. In fact, I didn't even remember that I'd used the bread dough hook the first time. I'll bet you're right. Thanks for writing--seeing these pictures again reminds me of how good the focaccia was.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183158217378477758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-6322005747225072802007-12-12T23:08:00.000-06:002007-12-12T23:08:00.000-06:00Hi Marie,I'm glad you gave this focaccia recipe an...Hi Marie,<BR/><BR/>I'm glad you gave this focaccia recipe another try! It's one of my favorites from The Bread Bible because it has such a unique texture. Comparing your first attempt with your second attempt I noticed one major difference that may have made the all the difference between success and failure. In the first attempt you say you were using the dough hook and in the photo of the second attempt I can see that you are using the paddle. Since this is a very soupy dough I don't think that the dough hook would be able to work the gluten properly which is the key to creating the unique internal structure of this dough.<BR/><BR/>My main problem with this recipe was preventing it from sticking to my pans. The first couple attempts didn't burn at all but the bottom would carmelize and stick badly to the pan. The best solution I found was to spray a brand new Teflon pan with Pam cooking spray.<BR/><BR/>- SteveStevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08134051236899096498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-52759930568865119192007-08-24T00:01:00.000-05:002007-08-24T00:01:00.000-05:00I haven't, but I really want to -- especially afte...I haven't, but I really want to -- especially after seeing that pic of the focaccia with the olives in it. Hoo boy, I'm a sucker for olives. However, I'm mostly still in that phase in which my curiosity to try new breads tends to win out over my desire to revisit past successes.Lisa Meltzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00318612389744551191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-43405788497721745462007-08-18T22:03:00.000-05:002007-08-18T22:03:00.000-05:00Extrastorchy,Great story! You know, looking at th...Extrastorchy,<BR/>Great story! You know, looking at these pictures again makes me really, really, want to have more of this bread. Have you ever made it a second time?Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183158217378477758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-21092463909502254882007-08-17T00:33:00.000-05:002007-08-17T00:33:00.000-05:00The focaccia was the second bread I made from The ...The focaccia was the second bread I made from The Bread Bible--my second loaf ever, in fact. (My first was the prosciutto loaf, which my friend April has dubbed "that delicious pig bread"). I decided last minute to bake the focaccia when we'd invited a bunch of folks over for dinner. Now, I have no idea what possessed me to do this, since I NEVER cook or bake something for guests without first giving it a test run. Cooking has never been my forte, you see; that's my husband's department. But, bake the focaccia I did.<BR/><BR/>My experience with this bread swung between little victories ("Woohoo! I've combined flour and water!") and moments of "Aw, jeez... I'm baking caulk." In the end, I stuck the slop in the oven, threw my hands up in the air, and figured I'd call my husband and tell him to pick up one of those $5 loaves from A Southern Season (they're dipped in gold!) on the way home from his shopping. However, when I pulled the focaccia out of the oven, it was perfect. And I couldn't believe how light it was--not at all like the bricks you're often served in restaurants. My guests loved it. I loved it. The focaccia disappeared in about ten minutes, and it took all the will power I could muster not to stab one of my guests with a fork to prevent him from taking the last piece.<BR/> <BR/>The next day, I looked up "rosemary focaccia" on your blog and I almost fainted.Lisa Meltzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00318612389744551191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164859815635213182006-11-29T22:10:00.000-06:002006-11-29T22:10:00.000-06:00was about to collapse into bed when i thought i'd ...was about to collapse into bed when i thought i'd just check your blog and what a reward! is this indeed the same marie who had sent me that first semi-irate posting causing me to question why i ever put that recipe in the book!!! it's really to your credit that you didn't give up on bread baking or at least the book right then and there!<BR/>both look fantastic. looks like yours doesn't have quite as big holes and the reason would be that i think i forgot to say to dimple the dough deeply just before baking. since the garlic version requires inserting them it automatically gets dimpled.<BR/>chubby panda is right about the age of the flour. i failed on my first 15 baguettes due to old flour. i didn't know at that time that flour had a shelf life! king arthur says if you freeze it this extends the shelf life practically indefinitely but who has that kind of freezer space! my freezer is stuffed with bread, and yes--a few less often used flours such as pumpernickel and high gluten for bagels.<BR/>anyway, brava--you've vindicated both of us.<BR/>and the final bread will be a surprise to me too though i'm tempted to look through the book and try to guess.Rose Levy Beranbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14272822321509616109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164858898801621672006-11-29T21:54:00.000-06:002006-11-29T21:54:00.000-06:00Interesting article, Chubbypanda. It also says yo...Interesting article, Chubbypanda. It also says you can use flour for up to six months, and mine could have been older than that, although I think I had just bought new flour for Christmas cookies last December. I did fall in love with White Lily flour, but that's more because of the name than anything else, but you can't buy it in Minnesota anyway, so it wasn't that. <BR/>I love speculation--so much more interesting than facts.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183158217378477758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164852862408245122006-11-29T20:14:00.000-06:002006-11-29T20:14:00.000-06:00Hey BBC,Start off by checking out this article on ...Hey BBC,<BR/><BR/>Start off by checking out <A HREF="http://www.joyofbaking.com/flour.html" REL="nofollow">this article on flour</A>.<BR/><BR/>With the large holes in its crumb and an airy, chewy texture, focaccia requires flour with a higher gluten content, which makes sense given that Italian wheat has a high gluten content. Most All-Purpose flours have a gluten content of 10%-12%, which is ok for focaccia. However, Southern All-Purpose flours, which I seem to remember you being fond of, can have a gluten content closer to that of cake flour, which is normally 6%-8%. So, depending on the brand of All-Purpose, flour used, there may not have been enough gluten present. Add to that the fact that the gluten in milled grains denatures over time, and it's quite possible you were working with dough that had a gluten content of <6%, which would have given you the results you observed.<BR/><BR/>This is all just speculation on my part, though.<BR/><BR/>- ChubbypandaChubbypandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12930326230203564199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164760339422657342006-11-28T18:32:00.000-06:002006-11-28T18:32:00.000-06:00argh i hate suprises, i wonder which bread it will...argh i hate suprises, i wonder which bread it will be, good luck!<BR/><BR/>www.lost.eu/51ecAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164741094979591052006-11-28T13:11:00.000-06:002006-11-28T13:11:00.000-06:00congratulations on taking back the focaccia! i we...congratulations on taking back the focaccia! i went back and re-read your entry about your first focaccia, and its great to see how much more confident you are about bread baking.<BR/> <BR/>i look forward to reading about your last bread!evil cake ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09028488030328153196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164700908440879152006-11-28T02:01:00.000-06:002006-11-28T02:01:00.000-06:00Dear Lost....She isn't going to tell us! It is a s...Dear Lost....<BR/>She isn't going to tell us! It is a suprise. <BR/>MelindaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164688096587153712006-11-27T22:28:00.000-06:002006-11-27T22:28:00.000-06:00look at how far you've come, whats the last bread?...look at how far you've come, whats the last bread??<BR/><BR/>www.lost.eu/51ecAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164670764463945712006-11-27T17:39:00.000-06:002006-11-27T17:39:00.000-06:00Melinda,The poached garlic is wonderful! It's ver...Melinda,<BR/>The poached garlic is wonderful! It's very mild, not at all bitter, and highly addictive.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183158217378477758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164670431137158312006-11-27T17:33:00.000-06:002006-11-27T17:33:00.000-06:00CP, I think you must be right about the old flour....CP, <BR/>I think you must be right about the old flour. I'm sure I didn't grab bread flour by mistake because I'm equally sure I didn't have any on hand, in that pre-BBC era. For some reason, and maybe you can hazard a guess why, this bread must be particularly sensitive to flour that's past its prime because I know I'm not the only person who sent churlish emails to Rose about this bread not working out.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183158217378477758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164670151080298202006-11-27T17:29:00.000-06:002006-11-27T17:29:00.000-06:00Paddyscake,I am irrationally superstitious (well, ...Paddyscake,<BR/>I am irrationally superstitious (well, I suppose there's no such thing as rational superstition, is there?) about announcing the bread I'm planning to bake ahead of time, but I do plan to bake this unnamed bread this coming weekend.Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183158217378477758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164666142752235222006-11-27T16:22:00.000-06:002006-11-27T16:22:00.000-06:00Marie,The breads looks delightful! You certainly p...Marie,<BR/>The breads looks delightful! You certainly put that demon to bed!<BR/>How nice that your daughter wanted to bake with you too. It looked like quite a lot of garlic; poaching it must make it much milder then... one hopes anyway.<BR/>Well done to both of you. MelindaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21995818.post-1164597726471120952006-11-26T21:22:00.000-06:002006-11-26T21:22:00.000-06:00(Ex-bakery boy with your answer.)If your focaccia ...(Ex-bakery boy with your answer.)<BR/><BR/>If your focaccia dough stayed soupy during your first attempt, it was because gluten failed to form during the kneading process. From the sounds of it, your dough was either too old, or it may not have contained enough gluten to begin with (say if you used cake flour on accident). Since you mentioned that the dough refused to firm up despite added flour, that rules out over hydration.<BR/><BR/>- ChubbypandaChubbypandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12930326230203564199noreply@blogger.com