Spanish Focaccia Flatbread

Posted on April 1, 2012 by bilrob

Spanish Focaccia Flatbread

Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients. It is related to pizza, but not considered to be the same.
Focaccia is popular in Italy and is usually seasoned with olive oil and salt, and sometimes herbs, and may be topped with onion, cheese and meat, or flavoured with a number of vegetables.

Focaccia doughs are similar in style and texture to pizza doughs, consisting of high-gluten flour, oil, water, salt and yeast. It is typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in a stone-bottom or hearth oven. Bakers often puncture the bread with a knife to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread.

Also common is the practice of dotting the bread. This creates multiple wells in the bread by using a finger or the handle of a utensil to poke the unbaked dough. As a way to preserve moisture in the bread, olive oil is then spread over the dough, by hand or with a pastry brush prior to rising and baking. In the northern part of Italy, lard will sometimes be added to the dough, giving the focaccia a softer, slightly flakier texture. Focaccia recipes are widely available, and with the popularity of bread machines, many cookbooks now provide versions of dough recipes that do not require hand kneading.

Focaccia can be used as a side to many meals, as a base for pizza, or as sandwich bread.

Why not try this interesting Spanish version of the traditional Italian focaccia flat bread.

POTATO AND ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

2 medium (about 300g) potatoes
1 tablespoon (14g) dried yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 cups (600g) plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm milk
2 medium (about 300g) potatoes, extra
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1/3 cup oil

Lightly grease 26cm x 32cm Swiss roll pan. Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until tender, drain; mash, cool. Cream yeast with a little of the water in a small bowl, stand in a warm place about 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy.

Sift flour and salt into large bowl, rub in mashed potato. Stir in yeast mixture, remaining water and milk, mix to a firm dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead about 5 minutes or until
dough is smooth and elastic. Return dough to large greased bowl, cover, stand in warm place about 2 hours or until dough is doubled in size. Turn dough onto floured surface, knead until smooth, press dough into prepared pan, cover, stand in warm place about 1 hour or until dough is doubled in size. Peel and thinly slice extra potatoes, arrange slices overlapping on top of dough. Sprinkle with garlic and rosemary; brush with oil. Bake in moderate oven about 1 hour or until potatoes are soft. Cool focaccia in pan.

Bread Making with Bill & Sheila

____________________________________________________________________
If you require a high quality printout of this article, just click on the printer symbol next to ’Share and enjoy’, and we will do the rest. This site is hosted by (click on the graphic for more information) focaccia

Return from focaccia to Home Page

If you want to increase your site popularity and gain thousands of visitors – check out these sites THEY ARE FREE. Spanishchef more than doubled its ‘New Visitors’ last month simply by signing up to these sites:

Follow spanishchef.net on TWITTER

A lesson in quick (and convenient) bread

Posted on March 5, 2012 by bilrob

A lesson in quick (and convenient) bread

Some of the simplest baking products to make are quick bread.

As the name implies, quick bread can be made in a shorter amount of time than traditional yeast bread. Examples are banana bread, muffins, scones, etc., and although easier, there is still information worth knowing.

The biggest and most obvious difference between yeast bread and quick bread is that quick bread is not leavened with yeast. The term “leavening” is defined as creating and capturing gases in a baked product to produce structure and height. As yeast ferments, with the help of sugar, it creates gas that causes the holes visible in bread. Quick bread relies on leaveners such as baking soda, baking powder, steam, eggs and air to give a similar effect.

Baking soda and baking powder are considered chemical leaveners. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and it requires liquid and an acid to make a gaseous reaction. It is usually added to recipes that have a naturally occurring acid in the ingredients. This acid can be found in items such as buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, honey, molasses and fruits.

The amount of baking soda used is determined and balanced by the amount of these acids occurring in the recipe’s ingredients. Baking powder, on the other hand, is a complete leavener, as it only requires liquid for it to react in the same manner. The reason for this is that it contains a mixture of baking soda and the balanced amount of acid, along with starch to help prevent lumping. This is why you will see some recipes call for baking powder and others with baking powder and/or baking soda. A good comparison of this is a pancake recipe compared to a buttermilk pancake recipe.

Most quick bread recipes consist of mixing dry and wet ingredients in two separate bowls first before combining them.

Not only are quick breads fast, they are also very tender. This is due to the limited production of gluten in the mixing process. When flour and liquid are mixed together, gluten is formed. Gluten is most recognizable as the elastic feeling in yeast bread dough that has been kneaded. The longer flour and liquid are mixed, the more gluten is created. Quick breads are similar to the texture of cakes and, thus, one should not over-mix to ensure a delicate composition.

Regardless of which chemical leaveners you use, the batter should go into the oven immediately once mixed together, as the gases start producing immediately when the liquid is added. If using eggs and air to leaven, bake immediately before it deflates, for optimal results.

Once in the oven, heat will convert moisture in the batter to steam. The steam, air and gasses from leavening will be trapped in the batter, giving the product height and a fluffy texture.
Bread Making with Bill & Sheila
_____________________________________________________________________
If you require a high quality printout of this article, just click on the printer symbol next to ’Share and enjoy’, and we will do the rest. This site is hosted by (click on the graphic for more information) bread

Return from bread to Home Page

Follow spanishchef.net on TWITTER

Flat Bread With an Up-Beet Bite

Posted on February 3, 2012 by bilrob

Flat Bread With an Up-Beet Bite

MISSION, KS, Feb 02, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
(Family Features) It’s no wonder Mediterranean cuisine has taken
the culinary scene by storm. Chefs and home cooks alike have fallen
for this simple cooking style, with an emphasis on good-for-you foods
such as vegetables, nuts, grains, beans and olive oil.

Just a few ingredients, found in any supermarket, make a delicious
Mediterranean-inspired flat bread that does double duty as an easy
appetizer or light dinner. Pre-made flat breads come in many
varieties — from basic pita and tortilla breads to whole grain, herb
seasoned and even naan — a leavened, oven-baked flat bread popular
in Indian cuisine. Choose your favorite, spread with prepared hummus
and top with ready-to-eat jarred pickled beets.

Using high-quality, jarred pickled beets saves time — the peeling
and pickling are done for you. Aunt Nellie’s beets are picked,
pickled and packed at their perfect ripeness, so they retain their
farm fresh flavor and high antioxidant profile.

For the ultimate Mediterranean flat bread twist, try a sprinkling of crumbled
feta and toasted pine nuts, finished with a peppery punch of arugula
– or toss on what’s at hand to make a combination all your own. To
drink, a glass of Pinot Noir plays up the Beet Flat Bread’s flavors.

For additional recipes and serving suggestions visit

www.auntnellies.com .


        Beet Flat Bread
        Preparation Time: 15 minutes
        Baking Time: 15 minutes
        Yield: 8 2-piece servings

        1     jar (15 ounces) Aunt Nellie's Sliced Pickled Beets
        4     pre-baked flat breads (6-inch round or square)
        2     teaspoons olive oil
        1/2   cup prepared hummus (plain or seasoned)
        1/2   cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
        1/4   cup toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts
        3     cups baby arugula

Drain beets well; set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degreesF.

Check package directions for baking temperatures and times for flat
bread as brands may vary; adjust as necessary. Also, other flat bread
shapes may be available. Place flat breads on baking sheet. Brush
tops lightly with oil. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven.

Turn flat breads over; brush with oil. Spread each with about 2
tablespoons hummus. Top with beets. Sprinkle with cheese and pine
nuts. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until heated through, cheese is soft and
flat bread is crisp.

Cut each flat bread into 4 pieces; top with arugula.

Nutrition information per serving (2 pieces): 161 calories; 8 g
protein; 18 g carbohydrate; 9 g fat; 425 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol;
1 g dietary fiber; 2 mg iron; 0.06 mg thiamin; 223 IU vitamin A; 1 mg
vitamin C.

About Family Features Editorial Syndicate
This and other food and
lifestyle content can be found at
www.editors.familyfeatures.com .
Family Features is a leading provider of free food and lifestyle
content for use in print and online publications. Register with no
obligation to access a variety of formatted and unformatted features,
accompanying photos, and automatically updating Web content
solutions.

Bread Making with Bill & Sheila
_____________________________________________________________________
If you require a high quality printout of this article, just click on the printer symbol next to ’Share and enjoy’, and we will do the rest. This site is hosted by (click on the graphic for more information) bread

Return from bread to Home Page

Follow spanishchef.net on TWITTER

spanishchef.net

The Spanish Chef Blog is all about Food & Drink and related topics

Tag Archives: flat bread

Spanish Focaccia Flatbread

Spanish Focaccia Flatbread

Return from focaccia to Home Page

Recommended Reading

A lesson in quick (and convenient) bread

A lesson in quick (and convenient) bread

Return from bread to Home Page

Recommended Reading

Flat Bread With an Up-Beet Bite

Flat Bread With an Up-Beet Bite

Return from bread to Home Page

Recommended Reading