Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Sourdough focaccia

I'm finally taking part in a Fantastical Food Fight again.   This time round it's Sourdough and I thought I had a slam dunk.   I made some Sourdough Focaccia.
Sourdough Focaccia
Let me tell you a little about this event first.  We meet once a month, get an assignment, and then either choose to accept it or not. You can go here to find out more info if you like. 

I had every intention of getting this up last night but got distracted, sigh.  

I wanted to make some Schlotzky style sourdough buns, but it turns out they're not really sourdough, at least the kind with a starter and everything.

So I got my starter going, and since I'm cheap, when it came time to divide the starter in two, and discard half, I could not do it.
Just could not do it.
I mean, this poor little guy had been struggling, sorta, in my oven (constant temperature, no air conditioning for this one) for several days.
I could not throw it away.
So I used it and baked a loaf of bread.
It was going to be rolls, but I kinda got sidetracked by my novel, that I'm writing and lost track of time, and they not only over-proofed, they tried to take over the oven.  At any rate, I wrestled the dough back into submission, sorta, formed it into a boule and scored it.  I wanted to serve it with dinner so did not let it rise as much as it could have, but it still tasted good.
So...
I had kept the other half of the starter in the fridge and decided to make it into a Focaccia.
And then that little sucker decided to be shy and it would not bubble merrily along, so I fed it again, and again, and finally... It decided to wake up.  But by that time it was late Tuesday and I wanted to get it baked, photographed written about so I could post it for Wednesday.
Sourdough Starter

Here it is, Wednesday and my dough has been sitting in the oven, slowly proofing all day long, and I finally got it baked, sampled and photographed.

Before baking...
Sourdough Focaccia

Sourdough Focaccia
 After baking...
Sourdough Focaccia

Sourdough Focaccia
And then I ate some alongside my 'Rustic Pot Roast'.

I used mishmash of several recipes, did some research, calculations and this is what I came up with.

I looked at King Arthur's site, and this place and then played, a lot with the starter.

I used 1 cup of starter and 4 cups of flour, oiled the pans for the focaccia and then I finished them off with a grind of fresh salt, which in retrospect was a mistake.
They were too salty for my taste.  But I have the leftovers frozen, and will use them up somewhere. 

While I've used sourdough starter before, I wasn't aware that if you dollop a spoonful of starter into a glass of water, that if it floats the starter is ready to go.  Mine floated.


Sourdough Focaccia

Yield: 16 + Servings
Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from several recipes
prep time: 12 hourcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 12 H & 30 M
This recipe made two full 1/4 sheet pans.

ingredients:

  • 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 4 cups flour + 1 cup for kneading.
  • Olive oil for the pans and topping
  • toppings

instructions:

How to cook Sourdough Focaccia

  1. Mix the starter with the water and olive oil.  Add one cup of flour and mix in.  Add the salt and an additional cup of flour until you've added almost all the flour.  Your dough may need all four cups, depending on humidity or not.  Dump the dough out onto a board covered with the final cup of flour.   Knead together until you get a nice soft dough that is still slightly sticky.  I used the stretch and fold method to knead it.
  2. Place in oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and let sit at room temp or in the oven, for at least 4-6 hours.  The dough will have done a slow rise. 
  3. Take the dough out, divide into two, and plop down onto two 1/4 sheet pans (9x12) or just one pan if you want a really thick focaccia.  Which have been drizzled with olive oil (the pans that is).  Stretch the dough out to the sides of the pan.  Don't worry if you get more olive oil on top, that's a good thing.  Cover and let rise for another 4-6 hours. By the end of the rise time, the dough will have almost doubled in size again.  Dribble a little olive oil over the top, and then dimple it with your fingers.  Just poke them down into the dough at random areas.  The olive oil will catch into the little holes and that's a good thing. 
  4. I cut some fresh green onions and a tomato into very thin slices and spread them over the top of one of them, then just sprinkled some Italian seasoning over both pans, and a grind of salt.  ( The salt was too much for my palate, I'm not a big salt person).  Bake at 425 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until the tops are just browned a little. 
  5. Serve immediately.
Created using The Recipes Generator

Check out the link below for some more great ideas. And recipes.


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Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

12 comments:

  1. Nice focaccia! Sometimes those starters are sleepy little animals slow to wake up. But they can be coaxed!

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    Replies
    1. After poking it a few times, it did come to life. I have more in the fridge that I've got plans for. giggle

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks, I was rather pleased with how it turned out.

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    2. This was one of my favorite recipes that I saw posted this month too.

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  3. Aah, the "float test!" Pretty fun right? Your focaccia is gorgeous!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, that means a lot from you. And the float test? Who woulda thunk it? I tried 'floating' some a couple of times, but it kept sinking, so I waited, almost patiently, and FINALLY!!!! it floated and I hurried up and made my bread.

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  4. Sourdough bread baffles me sometimes, it just refuses to rise. Your focaccia looks so spongy and moist, love it.

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    Replies
    1. I could tell you many stories about my sourdough fails. sigh. This time round, it worked very well. I was pleased.

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  5. Oh, I must put foccacia on my long list of theme ideas. This looks so grogeous and I realize that I'm really hungry right now haha

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    Replies
    1. What a great idea, I'm up for it. Now that I look at the picture, I may just have to toast some more up for breakfast.

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  6. Wishing you a great 4th of July Celebration and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday! The links will be open early tomorrow, see you then.
    Miz Helen

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