Saturday, August 2, 2008

The Staff Of Life

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens” Robert Browning

I love "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day" ( by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois ). The great thing about this dough is that it can be kept in a large, covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I made up a batch last week right before we got hit by high temps and humidity. Not a problem, because this dough develops a sourdough flavor after sitting for at least a week. From one batch of this dough I baked 4 large rolls, the following focaccia bread and have enough left over for a small boule. This dough eliminates any time constraints you may have, bake a small free-form loaf while preparing your favorite pasta dish, or this rustic Focaccia with fresh home-grown veggies.


Remove the amount of dough from bowl according to the size focaccia bread you want to bake.

With lightly-oiled fingers pat it into a round and/or oblong shape. Let rise for 1 hour and using finger tips poke dough down lightly.

Spread a small amount of marinara sauce over top and cover with fresh veggies, I used green pepper and tomatoes, sliced thin.

Crumble cheese of choice over all, (this is Feta). Sprinkle lightly with dried herbs, I used dried cinnamon basil from my garden, dried mexican oregano and freshly-ground pepper.


Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven about 30 minutes or until bread is golden brown on top and bottom.


My Adapted 5 minute Recipe:

2 pkgs. Active Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp. (or less) of sugar
3 cups warm water
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup bulgur wheat

Heat 3/4 cup water in the microwave (or stove) till just hot, not boiling. Add bulgur wheat and set aside till water is absorbed and mixture cools.

Add yeast to the 3 cups warm water, add sugar. Combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt.

Add flour mixture and bulgur wheat to yeast mixture, stir well until all the flour is incorporated into the liquid. Cover and let sit in a warm place for 2 hours. Pop in the fridge until ready to use.

16 comments:

PGL said...

Looks good Mom! Hope you made enough for me...:)

Please visit my blog for a surprise! :)

shambo said...

Your Focaccia looks wonderful. A perfect meal for the hot summer months -- fresh baked bread topped with a variety of farm fresh vegetables. And I really like your variation of the 5 minute artisan bread dough. I think the additions of some whole wheat flour and especially the bulgur wheat make it so tasty with a great texture.

Lucy said...

Linda, that just looks mighty, mighty good!! I wish I could dive in & cut myself a piece !!!!

That "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day" has become such a favorite simply because it can hangout for as long as it does.... and don't you just love that sourdough flavor it develops!!!

OhioMom said...

Thanks for the award sweetie, I will pass it on. Would you like me to wrap your piece up ?

Sue

As you know I got the inspiration for the addition of bulgur wheat from you :) We eat this often, a variation of the "one pot meal" :)

Lucy

This has become a regular around our house, I love it!

Usha said...

Wow delicious,you make it seem so simple,I would love to try this sometime :)

giz said...

Not only does it look fantastic, I love the no stress idea of making it when you have time, throw it in the fridge and use it as you need it (no pun intended).

OhioMom said...

Usha

Thanks, but it really is that easy :)

Giz .. exactly, I always have some in the fridge, the food critic loves freshly baked bread.

Theresa said...

Your foccacia looks wonderful and delish too :)

OhioMom said...

Thanks Theresa :)

Grace said...

that's some of the finest focaccia my eyes have ever seen. i'm still quite smitten with the idea of cinnamon basil, and this seems like an awesome use for it. yeah, i'd take this over a regular ol' pizza any day. :)

OhioMom said...

Thanks Grace :) I love love love this bread!

Beth said...

The dough looks fairly easy. Will have to try. My Mum has lent me one of the bread makers from her school. Ive really got into making my own bread and its so much tastier and cheaper than shop bought! Love focaccia

OhioMom said...

Hi Beth

For this bread you just need a large bowl and a wooden spoon. It really does not get any easier than this :)

Zoe Francois said...

This looks absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful success with all of your readers. It is such a thrill to see pictures of how people are using the recipes.

Thanks! Zoë

We also have a website dedicated to the book, where we have lots of pictures, conversations, Q&A and an error sheet:
www.artisanbreadinfive.com.

OhioMom said...

Hello Zoe

I should be thanking you, this dough is a life saver in the kitchen .. anyone who says they "do not have the time" to bake bread will love this dough. It is a regular in my home.

Kevin said...

That looks really good! Focaccia is one of my favorite breads to make.