Focaccia: BBA Challenge

Today is Day 13 in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge. The bread we're making this week is Focaccia. According to Peter Reinhart, true Focaccia is rustic slack dough similar to pizza with a thicker (but not too thick) crust, and big, open, translucent holes, like ciabatta.

The book presents a couple of different formulas for making Focaccia. One formula uses a pre-fermented dough and the other one retards the fermentation process through refrigeration. I chose to make my Focaccia using a Poolish (or pre-fermented dough).

Focaccia, Poolish Version
 

Making the Poolish (look for the list of ingredients here)

Stir together the flour, water, and yeast. The dough should be soft and sticky and look like pancake batter.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, or until the sponge becomes bubbly and foamy. Refrigerate it immediately. It will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I made the poolish this past Wednesday night and put in the refrigerator for 2 days to give it an overnight retarding and to fit it in my schedule. I finally had time to make the bread tonight.

This is the poolish after sitting on the counter for 4 hours. Now it's ready to go in the fridge.

I removed the dough from the refrigerator late Friday afternoon to take the chill off so I could bake the bread Friday night. I had company so I worked on it between playing games. It was fun and everyone enjoyed eating the bread for a snack!

Here is the dough after being refrigerated overnight.

The dough after sitting on the counter for an hour to get the chill off.

Making the dough

• 3 cups (20 ounces) poolish
• 2 2/3 cups (12 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
• 2 teaspoons (.5 ounce) salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (.17 ounce) instant yeast
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) olive oil
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) water, lukewarm
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Herb Oil (recipe in directions below)

 

Stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a mixing bowl if you prefer to do this by hand). Add the oil, poolish and water. Mix on low speed until the ingredients form a sticky ball.

Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes until you have a smooth, sticky dough.

The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. Add additional flour if necessary to firm up the dough enough to clear the sides of the bowl, but it should still be quite soft and sticky.

 

First Rise:

Make a bed of flour about 6 inches square on the counter. Use a bowl scraper or spatula dipped in water to transfer the sticky dough to the bed of flour on the counter.

Dust the dough liberally with flour.

Pat the dough into a rectangle and wait 5 minutes for the dough to relax.

Stretch and Fold Method

Coat your hands with flour and perform the stretch and fold technique. Stretch the dough from each end to twice its size and fold it, letter style, over itself to return it to a rectangular shape. The dough is so wet and this is a tricky move so I didn't get any photos of the process.

For step-by-step instructions for the Stretch and Fold Method, refer to the instructions on page 138 or for a demo, view a video of the Stretch and Fold method

Mist the top of the dough with spray oil, again dust with flour, and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold again; mist with spray oil, dust with flour, and cover. After 30 minutes, repeat this one more time.

Allow the covered dough to ferment on the counter for an hour. It should swell but not necessarily double in size.

Preparing the Bread for Baking:

Line a 17 by 12-inch sheet pan with baking parchment and shape the focaccia as shown on page 162. I don't have a sheet pan that big so I just used my large baking sheet.

Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil over the paper, and spread it with your hands or a brush to cover the surface.

Lightly oil your hands and, using a pastry scraper, lift the dough off the counter and transfer it to the sheet pan, maintaining the rectangular shape as much as possible.

Herb Oil

The instructions say to spoon herb oil over the dough. The herb oil is made with 2 cups of olive oil. I couldn't bring myself to use that much oil because I only had extra virgin olive oil so I decided to check on how KAF made their Focaccia. They only use about 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with rosemary, ground pepper and coarse salt. I decided I could live with that so that's what I used instead of the herb oil. However, I added more as needed.

Use you fingertips to dimple the dough and spread it to fill the pan. Use more oil if needed to to ensuer that the entire surface is coated with oil. Since I'm using a baking sheet, I didn't worry about filling the pan. I just spread it out trying to keep the thickness as uniform as possible.

Note: The purpose for dimpling is to degas part of the dough while preserving gas in the non-dimpled sections.

Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until the dough fills the pan.

It was really hot so I only had to proof it a little over an hour.  About 15 minutes before baking, drizzle on more herb oil. Since I didn't use the herb oil, I drizzled a couple more tablespoons of olive oil, then added some extra herbs to give it additional flavor. Then I dimpled it again.

Let the dough relax for 15 to 20 minutes before baking to allow the gas to build back up. It will rise to almost 1 inch in thickness.

 

Baking the Bread

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the pan in the oven and lower the oven setting to 450 degrees F. Bake for 10 minutes.

Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the dough begins to turn a light golden brown. You can add additional toppings at this point and continue to bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, but I decided not to add any additional toppings. I like the herb flavor.

Remove the pan from the oven.

 

Cooling and Serving the Bread

Immediately transfer the focaccia out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Allow the focaccia to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing or serving.

 

I had company waiting to eat it this bread as soon as it was finished. I tried to sneak finishing it while they were playing a game, but they smelled it. Of course! They were chomping at the bit so it was hard to get photos before they started devouring it.

 

Thanks for joining us this week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge. See you next time...

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

No Knead English Muffin Loaves

Today we're making No Knead English Muffin Loaves using the Kneadlessly Simple method. These English Muffin Loaves are delicious! They are crispy on the outside, and light and airy on the inside. They make great toast!

This is the last bread we'll be making in this series of No Knead Breads. I really like the Kneadless Simple method of making bread and will definitely try some more of these breads in the future.

If you would like to bake along with us, turn to page 45 in Kneadlessly Simple to locate the recipe and list of ingredients.

English Muffin Loaves

 

Preparing for the First Rise

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast until thoroughly mixed. In a measuring cup, whisk or stir together the oil and ice water.  Vigorously stir the ice-water mixture into the dough.

Scrape down the sides and mix until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If the mixture is too dry, add additional water, a little bit at a time. Or, if necessary, add a little extra flour until it forms a fairly soft dough. I added a little extra flour.

Spray the top of the dough evenly with cooking spray. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

For enhanced flavor, refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. The dough after refrigerating it for 5 1/2 hours.

 

Then let the dough rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. I don't have a cool room temperature but I let it rest on the counter anyway to develop the flavor.

If possible, stir the dough vigorously once during the rise.  Here is the dough a little while after stirring it down.  Look how bubbly it is!

This is the dough after resting on the counter for 15 hours.

Preparing for the Second Rise

Stir the powder milk into the dough. Then vigorously stir in enough more flour to yield a very stiff dough.

I switched to the dough whisk to make sure the dough was completed mixed.

Grease two loaf pans (8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch) and sprinkle them with cornmeal.

Using well-oil kitchen shears or a serrated knife, cut the dough in half and place the portions in the pans. The dough was really wet so I used a dough scraper. However, at this point, I should've put the dough in the refrigerator to let it firm up a bit, then I could've used shears to cut it.

Brush or spray the tops with oil, then smooth out the surface and press the dough evenly into the pans. Tightly cover the pans with nonstick spray-coated plastic.

 

 

For a regular rise, let the dough stand at warm room temperature 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Or for an extended rise, refrigerate the loaves in the pans, covered, for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature to finish rising.

Because the dough was really wet, I contemplated going with the extended rise in the refrigerator but I wanted to bake the bread sooner so I decided to set it out on the counter for the regular rise instead. I went shopping with my son for a couple of hours and when I got back, the dough had exploded all over the counter. It was really hot and humid in Atlanta so I should've gone with my first thought. You know what they say "Hindsight is always 20/20".

I didn't take a picture of the mess. I was too busy cleaning it up and trying to salvage the dough. I did manage to salvage it. I put the dough back in the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for about an hour. Then, after I got everything cleaned up, I put the dough back in the loaf pans, and covered them with clean plastic sprayed with cooking oil. Then I put the loaf pans back in the refrigerator for the extended rise. 

 

The salvaged dough smoothed and ready to go in the refrigerator overnight.

 

I refrigerated the dough for about 15 hours. Then I took it out of the refrigerator and let it finish rising on the counter for a couple of hours.

Continue the rise until the dough nears the plastic. Remove the plastic and continue until the dough just reaches the pan rims.

Baking the Loaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 15 minutes before baking time and place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Spritz the loaf tops with water. Reduce the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake on the lower rack for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the tops are well browned.

Continue baking for another 10 to 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.

Cooling the Loaves

Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Then remove the loaves to the rack and cool completely.

Serving the English Muffin Loaves

Cool completely before slicing or storing.

This bread looks a little funky but I like it - it has character. The dough had three rises instead of two so that's probably why it looks like this. However, it tastes wonderful and the texture is incredible so I'm not complaining.

 

I had a slice of this bread toasted for breakfast. Then for dinner, I toasted a couple of slices, buttered them and made a fried egg and cheese sandwich. It was delish!

Storing the Loaves

Store in plastic or aluminum foil. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months. I decided to eat one loaf and freeze the other one. I double-wrapped it in plastic and put it in the freezer for later.

 

Thanks for visiting The Bread Experience Bread-Baking Blog.

Happy Baking!
Cathy

English Muffin Bread: BBA Challenge

It's Day 12 of the BBA Challenge and we're making English Muffins. At the request of my taste tester and my sons, I'm making English Muffin Bread instead of muffins. I must say that this bread is really good! It's made with buttermilk so there is a little bit of a tangy flavor. Mmmmm...so glad I made the loaf instead of the muffins.

 

I'm participating in a Group Bake next weekend and one of the breads is English Muffins so I'll get another opportunity to make the muffins. Yummy!

If you're following along with us in the Bread Baker's Apprentice turn to page 157 to locate the recipe and list of ingredients.

English Muffin Bread

 

Mixing the batter

Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. You can mix it by hand if you prefer. Mix in the shortening and 3/4 cup buttermilk until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and form a ball.

I had a little loose flour left in the bowl so I dribbled a little more buttermilk into the mixture. The dough should be soft and pliable, not stiff.

Kneading the Dough

Knead the dough using the dough hook for about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in more flour if necessary to make a tacky, but not sticky dough.

First Rise:

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and roll it over a couple of times to coat it in oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes.

Shaping the Loaf:

Wipe the counter with a damp cloth and transfer the dough to the counter. I sprinkled the counter with flour so I could shape the loaf.

 

If you're making the English Muffin Bread instead of muffins, shape the loaf as shown below:

Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Then roll the dough into a log.

 

Pinch the seams together. Turn the dough seam down. Lightly oil a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and place the loaf in the pan.

 

Second Rise:

Mist the top of the loaf with cooking spray and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Proof the dough for 60 to 90 minutes, or until it nearly doubles in size.

 

Baking the Loaf

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Using a serrated knife,score the loaf down the center and rub a little vegetable oil into the slit.

 

Bake the loaf for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating 180 degrees halfway through for even baking. I rotated the bread after about 15 minutes. The tops should be golden brown and the sides should also be golden. The loaves should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

 

Cooling the Loaf

Remove the loaf immediately from the pan and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing or serving.

 

Serving the Loaf

The beautiful golden loaf is ready to be eaten. I think I’ll have a slice. This bread tastes great as a grilled cheese sandwich.

  

Thanks for joining us in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge. Next time, we'll be making Focaccia. Oh boy! I can't wait for this one!

Happy Baking!

Cathy

No Knead Spiced Cranberry Coffeecake

I’m continuing my no knead baking series by making a Spiced Cranberry Bundt-Style Coffeecake using the Kneadlessly Simple method.

 

This bread is made with an all-purpose enriched sweet dough. The dough is very versatile. It is slightly sweet and suitable for making coffeecakes, various enriched loaves, and dessert breads.

This is a really easy method.  It takes a couple of days from start-to-finish to make this coffeecake, but most of the time is spent fermenting the dough.

The first step involves making the enriched dough and letting it ferment for 15 to 18 hours in the refrigerator.

The next step is to make the Cranberry Coffeecake Dough, spread it in the Bundt pan and let it rise again.  You have the option of doing a shortened rise or an extended rise in the refrigerator for about 15 hours.

After the 15 hours, you take the pan out of the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature for a couple of hours and let it continue rising.

 

 

Once the bread has finished rising, you bake it and let it cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.

 

Then brush off any crumbs from the surface of the loaf and transfer the loaf to a serving platter. Sift powdered sugar over the top just before serving.

The coffeecake slices best when cool, but is good warm, at room temperature, or toasted. I can attest to this. In fact, I asked my taste tester how he would describe the coffeecake and he said, "I would just call it delicious!" It is a delicious breakfast bread or dessert bread. Yummy!

This bread stores well.  Just cool completely before storing airtight in a plastic container or cake keeper. Keeps at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

This bread has been submitted to Bread Baking Day #22: Sweet Breads.

Be sure to view all of the delicious breads in the Bread Baking Day #22 Roundup.

Happy Baking!
Cathy

Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread #BBA Challenge

We're moving right along in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge.

For Day 11 of the BBA Challenge, we made a beautiful and delicious Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread.

I was out of town this week on business and thought I would be too tired to make this bread, but then I remembered how much I enjoyed making it last year. It's a very easy and rewarding dough to work with. Not to mention it tastes great.

This festive bread is a wonderful treat for holiday gatherings but it can be enjoyed anytime of the year. It makes great toast!

You can form the dough into a braid or loaves. I decided to do the double-braided version again because it makes such a beautiful presentation.

I made this bread a couple of times last holiday season. It's always good! 

To learn how to make this lovely braided bread, view my previous post here. 

Thanks for joining us for the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge.

Happy Baking!

Cathy