Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day
Recipe Reviews
sturlington from Hillsborough, NC
I actually used the pizza dough for this recipe. In the introduction, he says that focaccia dough is very much like pizza dough, except wetter, and after I had thawed my frozen dough, it seemed very wet indeed. I liked the method of dimpling and stretching the dough; it worked very well, and since I had all afternoon, I didn't have to bother with the oven. The dough did not rise up as much as I would like (probably because it was frozen), but it was chewy and full of bubbles, which is what I associate with focaccia. I topped it with some tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese, so it was almost pizza-like anyway, but definitely a different texture. We enjoyed it very much.
(edited 30th July 2012) (0) comment (0) useful
bhnyc from New York, NY
I found this to be one of the more confusing recipes in the book. The directions about dimpling the dough with the oven vs. on the counter top could have been clearer. Prior to baking, the dough had risen quite a bit but when it came out of the oven the bread was actually flatter than I expected it to be. The amount of oil used is a little alarming, so I cut back considerably on it. I topped the focaccia with some rosemary and sea salt. Yum!
bes30 from ,
Focaccia is something I have been wanting to try to make, but always assumed it is difficult. The recipe is very detailed, easy to follow and has a good amount of diagrams, so it makes it relatively easy to follow along and produce a very high quality Focaccia.
There are a few confusing sections in the directions, but in the end, I don’t think it made a difference. One confusing part was whether to form the Focaccia right away and then ‘fridge overnight or form it on baking day. I waited to form on baking day and wasn’t really sure where to pick up with the directions, but I just followed the shaping method until I got something that fit the entire pan (3 spreadings). The other confusing part is when to add the toppings. The diagram says during last dimpling, but the directions say to do it right before putting in the oven. I added the toppings right before baking, but I don’t think it made a difference.
I topped the Focaccia with the Spicy Oil and the Herb Oil (half and half) on page 70. Both were very easy to make, very good and toppings I will definitely use in other applications. It would be nice if the recipe suggested how much oil to use, but I looked at how much the pictures in the recipe showed to estimate how much to use. I could imagine that using too much would make for a very greasy and oily final product.
Baking time suggests 22 to 27 minutes, but lately my oven has been cooking things faster than usual. The Focaccia was crispy and golden brown after about 18 minutes.
The Focaccia was delicious. It was nice and crispy on the top and soft, airy and tasty on the inside. During baking the oil topping seeps right into the dough to provide great flavor. This is the best Focaccia I have ever tasted. Most Focaccia I have had at restaurants were kind of soft and soggy, but this version is nice and crispy on top and provided a nice crunch. Beware that after 1 day the Focaccia is still good, but the crispy exterior is lost.
Another super simple recipe from this book. Making this focaccia takes almost no effort. This is a great recipe for anyone who hates kneading or does not have a mixer. I made this by hand and got excellent results.
Used Peter's spicy herb oil recipe for the toppping. Totally delicious.
homejoys from ,
This focaccia uses the same ingredients as the ciabatta with a slightly different method.
I replaced 2 1/2 cups of white flour with whole wheat flour and increased the water by 1/2 cup and added 3 T vital gluten.
I kept the toppings simple, just olive oil and some herbs. Next time I want to add more topping, maybe pesto, or sun dried tomatoes and some cheese.
This would make an awesome pizza crust, if the toppings were kept simple enough to let the great bread flavor shine through!
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