I have been craving focaccia for a couple days now – probably less about an actual craving and more about my inherent gluten dependency.
Regardless, today I finally got my focaccia! And with a little twist. In my amateur opinion, bread should be crusty on all sides; with that in mind, I decided to cook today’s focaccia in a cast iron skillet rather than on my pizza stone (like usual). I have to say, this is a keeper. It was warm and chewy on the inside and crusty and crunchy on the outside. I can’t wait to turn it into a sandwich tomorrow…
In an effort to cure the Monday blues, I also opened up a bottle of Chianti. Chianti Classico is the hilly region in the heart of Chianti (between Florence and Siena). The Volpaia felt approachable, rustic, and versatile. I tasted spicy strawberries – it reminded me of a savory strawberry popsicle (if that makes any sense).
Wine and Bread… That is my kind of dinner!
The Deats:
Focaccia:
1 package dry active yeast
1/4 c + 1 1/4 c warm water
4 c all purpose flour
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
Olive oil, Rosemary, and Salt for garnish
Dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 c of warm water. Set aside until foamy. Mix the flour, olive oil, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and the additional warm water. Knead until smooth and elastic. In a separate bowl, cover the bottom in olive oil, place the dough into the bowl, and cover with a dish towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, dry place for 2 hours (until the dough has doubled in size).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place your cast iron skillet into the oven to heat up. Flip the dough into the cast iron, sprinkle salt and chopped rosemary on top of the bread and cook for 20 minutes. Once the dough is fully cooked, switch the oven to broil to give the top some color. Keep an eye on it – this should only take 30 seconds and you don’t want to burn your finished product 🙂
Castello di Volpaia
Varietal: Sangiovese
Region: Chianti | Tuscany, Italy
Year: 2013
Price point: $25
MiyaEats 