let’s get cooking

breadwinner

make your own loaf

Buying bread at the store may be quick and easy, but making your own from scratch is a worthwhile and satisfying endeavor. Here are some basic breadmaking tips for a better loaf as well as a recipe for a sweet-and-salty focaccia.

• Aim to proof dough in a kitchen that’s about 72˚, unless otherwise indicated in the recipe. • Use a large balloon whisk to mix the starter and liquid. This adds oxygen early on, which yields a better rise. • Prepare the baking container by greasing it generously with butter, then dusting it with flour, and finally tipping out excess flour. Next add the dough. • Wet your hands with water or oil for easier dough handling. This is particularly helpful if you’re new to working with dough. • Employ the use of a plastic scraper to help shape, handle, and divide dough. A scraper also helps clean the countertop of dough. • When making pizza or focaccia, gently stretch out the dough until you meet a little bit of resistance. Stop and then wait for 10 to 20 seconds to let the dough relax. Stretch it again. This helps prevent tearing. • Since everyone’s oven is different, check the loaf 5 to 10 minutes before the end of the baking time rather than at the very end to see if the bread is done. • Have clean, good-quality dish towels ready. Use for covering bowls of proofing dough and then later for wrapping loaves for storage. • If your bread collapses, it may be due to overproofing. It can also be due to baking it on a hot day or adding more water than the flour can handle. • If your bread is slightly tacky or damp at the end of baking time, let it rest in the oven with the oven turned off and the door open so extra moisture can dissipate. ●

SOURCE 10-Minute Sourdough by Vanessa Kimbell ($22.99, Kyle Books, 2021)

prep time + overnight ferment time makes 1 (9 x 13-inch) focaccia dough

Salted Honey Focaccia

From The Sweet Side of Sourdough by Caroline Schiff ($21.99, Page Street Publishing, 2021)

Dough

2 cups plus 1 tsp water, at room temperature Scant O c active sourdough starter 4O c all-purpose flour, divided 2 Tbsp kosher salt N c extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Syrup

1 Tbsp water 2 Tbsp honey Flaky sea salt, as needed

1. To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine water and active starter, mixing well with your hands. Add half the flour (eyeballed is fine) and mix well; a few lumps are OK. It will be the consistency of pancake batter. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. 2. After 30 minutes, add remaining flour and salt. Mix until uniform using your hands. The dough will be quite sticky at this stage; bring it together in center of bowl, using a bowl scraper. Then cover and leave to rest for 1 hour at room temperature. 3. After the first hour, stretch and fold dough for 1 minute in bowl using a bowl scraper or your hands, turning bowl as you go so it folds from a different direction each time. Cover and rest 1 hour. Do this process three more times. You’ll need a total of four sets of folds.

4. After last set of folds, cover dough in bowl and transfer to fridge to ferment overnight, at least 10 hours and up to 14 hours. 5. In the morning, generously oil a 2-inch-deep, 9x13-inch metal pan with the ¼ cup of oil, spreading it evenly across bottom and sides of pan. Gently transfer dough to pan using a bowl scraper and fold it over itself once. Then, using your fingers, gently press it out to a rectangle shape, coming to about 2 inches from edges of pan. The oil should pool nicely in corners and little divots on top of dough. Cover and place in a warm spot for 1 hour.

6. After 1 hour you should see some bubbles on top and dough should have increased its volume by about half. Gently press dough out further so it reaches corners of pan and, using your hands, dimple surface of dough. Finish it with another light drizzle of oil. Cover, place in a warm spot and proof for 1 hour, or until you see more bubbles forming on surface. 7. Preheat oven to 450˚ with a rack in the center. When hot, transfer to oven. Bake until golden and bubbly, browning deeply in a few spots, 30 to 40 minutes depending on your oven. 8. While it bakes, make the syrup: Combine water with honey in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn off heat and leave in pot in a warm spot. 9. When focaccia is done, carefully remove it from pan using tongs or a spatula and transfer to a resting rack to continue cooling. With a pastry brush, liberally paint honey syrup all over focaccia, giving it two coats. Sprinkle liberally with flaky salt. Cool another 20 minutes before slicing. Kitchen Note: This focaccia is so simple, chewy, and mouthwatering, and you’ll probably eat the entire loaf in two days. Maybe even less. It’s a perfect canvas for cheeses, jams, fruit, butter, or olive oil, which helps it go so fast. Fortunately, this dough comes together without too much effort, which means you can whip up another batch easily.

Per serving (serves 10): 284 Calories, 6 g Protein, 50 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Total sugars (3 g Added sugars), 2 g Fiber, 6 g Total fat (1 g sat), 280 mg Sodium, HHHH Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Folate, HH Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), H Iron, Phosphorus