A Cautionary Tale

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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of these days I'll learn to follow my own advice. Last week, I had bad luck with a recipe that came from a well-respected publication. I was in a hurry, and while I carefully read the recipe, I bypassed the comments of readers who actually had made the bread. As a result, I ended up with focaccia that was worse than awful, it was a resolute failure. It did not rise and it stuck to the pan in which it baked. The comments, all of them, alluded to these problems, and had I bothered to read them, I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation. Now, it is not my intention to trash anyone, so I'm not going to name the source from which the recipe came. I just want to emphasize how important those comments can be to cooks who surf for recipes. The topping on this focaccia is what drew me to the recipe in the first place. I wanted to salvage something from this venture, so I decided to use it on top of some pizza dough I had purchased at the supermarket. This is an effortless preparation that makes a nice focaciia bread. I hope you'll try it next time you are pressed for time. Here's the recipe.

Rosemary and Onion Focaccia...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 batch white bread dough (purchased or homemade)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil. Stretch and press dough on sheet into a rectangle slightly smaller than the sheet. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft-free area until dough has almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3) Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and dimple dough with your fingertips. Scatter onion, rosemary, and oregano over dough; season with salt and pepper. Bake focaccia until golden brown, 10–15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before slicing. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

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Cheddar Cheese and Olive Focaccia

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This bread is a wonderful way to extend a simple meal and the cheddar cheese used to top it makes it especially good to serve with a creamy tomato soup like the one featured here a few days ago. It really is very easy to do. If you are uncomfortable working with yeast, purchase a commercially available pizza dough and top it with the ingredients used in this recipe. Chances are no one will be the wiser and I certainly will never tell. I think those of you who try this recipe will be really pleased with the results. A cook's reputation is often made by the way things are combined at the table. A soup by itself may not garner praise, but when served with a lovely salad and a homemade bread, such as this Americanized focaccia, chances are you'll receive rave reviews. Here's the recipe.

Cheddar Cheese and Olive Focaccia Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 dash black pepper (ground)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced, sauteed red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced, sauteed bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced black olives
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Colby cheese

Directions:
1) Mix yeast and water in a small bowl. Let sit until bubbles form, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
2) Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, sugar, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil, and black pepper in a large bowl.
3) Add yeast mix and vegetable oil to dry ingredients and combine. When dough has pulled together, turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
4) Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in warm place 25 minutes.
5) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
6) Punch dough down, place on greased baking sheet. Pat dough into 12 to 14-inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. Make indentations in dough about 1/2-inch apart, then prick dough with fork. Brush top with olive oil, then sprinkle with onions, bell pepper, olives, Parmesan and cheddar cheese. Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: One 12 to 14-inch focaccia bread.








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You might also enjoy these recipes:
Rosemary Focaccia - Cookie Madness
Herb and Tomato Focaccia Bread - Meal 4 Moms
Whole Wheat Focaccia - Diethood
Roasted Garlic Focaccia Bread - Cooking with Michele
Roasted Sweet Pepper Focaccia - Cooking with Siri
Herb and Cheese Focaccia Bread - Plain Chicken
Herbed Fococcia Bread - Pantry Eats
Homemade Focaccia Bread with Figs and Goat Camembert - Local Lemons
Whole Wheat Olive Flatbread - One Perfect Bite
Onion Parmesan Focaccia Bread with Tomatoes - One Perfect Bite

Focaccia Bread - Blue Monday

Focaccia for the body and grape hyacinths for the soul.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The fog's still thick and I'm craving soup. Not the thick and heavy variety. I want a soup with vibrant color to chase the chill and gray of winter's end away. Remember the tomato soup of childhood? That's what I want. Ours was always served with grilled cheese sandwiches and a tall glass of milk. My soup no longer comes from a can and I haven't had grilled cheese in years. Somewhere along the line, cheese covered breads replaced the sandwiches of my childhood lunches. One of my favorites is focaccia. It's really easy to make and is the perfect accompaniment to a lovely tomato or minestrone soup. I'm fairly specific in the ingredients I choose for mine. If my choices don't spark your fancy, substitute any toppings you'd like for yours. Here's the recipe I use.

Focaccia...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil, divided use
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup sliced oil-packed roasted peppers or 8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Combine flour and salt in work bowl of food processor. Stir in yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil. Process until ingredients form a ball. Process 1 minute more. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 2 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in oiled bowl; turn once to oil dough surface. Cover with clean kitchen towel. Let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
2) Punch dough down. Let rest 5 minutes. Press dough into oiled 10-inch cake pan, deep-dish pizza pan or springform pan. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Press peppers or sun-dried tomatoes over dough dough,staying about 1 inch from edge. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and let rise in warm place 15 minutes.
3. While dough completes final rise, preheat oven to425 degrees F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Cook's Note: If mixing dough by hand, combine flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil until ball forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Proceed as directed.

You might also enjoy:

Whole Wheat Olive Focaccia Bread
Apple-Onion Bread with Cheddar Cheese
Muenster Cheese Bread

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting