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For Lynn Duff & Joe Barda re focaccia & folding

Nifcon@aol.com
Sat, 23 Aug 2003 12:56:34 EDT
v103.n037.6
Lynn:

All the really successful focaccia I've baked have taken 2 days - the extra 
flavour and elasticity added by an overnight rise or preferment are, or 
seem to be, necessary for the finset flavour and texture.

That said, the focaccia recipe I use myself gives 90-95% of 2 day quality 
in one day and, if you start the dough in the morning  you can be eating 
extremely good Focaccia for dinner.

Other members of the list, forgive the repost.

Joe:

This contains a description of The Stretch 'n' Fold or "Striking Mongoose 
Shakes his Leg" as my Martial Origami instructor called it.

Love
John "Autumn Zephyrs Ripple the Maple Leaves - How Charming!" Wright


Focaccia after (and greatly indebted to) Peter Reinhart.

This bread requires an overnight rest in  the fridge for full flavour 
though a very fine bread can be made easily in one day.

Makes 2 X 25 centimetre round Focaccia.

INGREDIENTS

500 grams of the highest protein content white flour you can find.
350 grams warm water
70 grams good olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant (sometimes called fast-action) dried yeast
More olive oil for the tins and the proving dough - to taste - see later.
Salt for the tops of  the loaves - to taste.

EQUIPMENT

A large mixing bowl, you want room to sweep the spoon under the dough.
A chopstick
A large metal spoon.
A small bowl or jug containig cold water to wet the spoon
2 X 25 cm round shallow, metal,  pans.
A dough scraper  often called a "bench knife".
A flour shaker
A pastry brush
Clingfilm
A food-grade plastic bag large enough to contain the dough.
A water spray mister
Bakestones - optional, they don't make that much difference in this bread.
A cooling rack.

MIXING

Put the flour salt and yeast into the bowl and mix. Add the water and oil 
and stir with the chopstick (You wondered about that didn't you? Sounds 
crazy but for initial rough mixing a chopstick is perfect.) to roughly 
combine. Dip the spoon in the cold water and get under  the roughly mixed 
dough in the bowl stirring and scooping, 3 or 4 times. Wet the spoon again 
and scoop and stir the dough. Repeat until the dough shows a little 
cohesion and forms a sticky mass that balls when you scoop the spoon under 
it. Takes about about 2  minutes or less for me. Leave the dough to relax 
for 10 minutes then dip and mix another minute. Flour the counter well, wet 
the spoon again and use it to scrape the wet glop in the bowl onto the 
counter.

STRETCH AND FOLD 1

Flour the scraper and glop (Don't worry - it doesn't stay  that sticky), 
and shape it into a rough square  cover with clingfilm and leave for 10 
minutes. Flour your hands, grip one side of  the dough and pull it sideways 
until 3 X original length and repeat  for  the other side, forming a 
rectangle. Fold one third of the rectangle into the middle and then fold 
the  remaining third over the top of the first fold. Rotate the dough, 
horizontally through 90 degrees, flour lightly, brush off excess  flour, 
cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Repeat the stretching, folding and turning 3 times. The dough will be more 
elastic and easier  to handle after each fold.

If the dough sticks to the counter (it often does in the early stages), 
flour the scraper and slide it under t he dough to release it.

For best flavour you now need to slow  down the fermentation by chilling 
the dough overnight but if you don't want to wait you can proceed to 
stretch and fold 2.

OVERNIGHT

Wrap the dough loosely in clingfilm, put into a plastic bag, seal with 
a  tie and place in the fridge.

STRETCH AND FOLD 2

Take  the dough out of it's wrappings, place on the floured counter, cover 
and allow to start rising again (1 1/2 hours or so, lots of variables here) 
then stretch, fold and turn twice more. The dough should now be very elastic

SHAPING AND PROVING

Leave  to rest for 10 minutes, cut into 2 pieces and shape each piece into 
a ball. Rest for 10 minutes. Oil the pans to taste. I like olive oil so I 
use 2 tablespoons per pan but it's up to you. Place the balls of dough  in 
the centre of the pans and brush the tops generously with oil. Using your 
fingertips dimple and spread the dough to the edge of the pans, this may 
take up to an hour of repeated small spreadings interspersed with 
rests.  When the dough is out to  the  edges of the pans, brush with more 
oil, sprinkle with salt to taste, I like lots, cover with film and leave 
for round about 1 1/2 hours (many variables here also) until soft puffy and 
bubbly - you will be able to see the bubbles under the top of the dough. 
The pans should feel light.

BAKING

The oven will have been preheated to 230 C, bakestones optional, while the 
dough proves. Mist  the tops of the bread with water, sprinkle a few drops 
of oil over and place in the heated oven and leave  for 15 minutes. After 
15 minutes test the dough by tappping the base (tricky with flat bread like 
this) or measuring the internal temp (95 C) - as a guide mine normally take 
20 minutes. Slide out of the pans onto racks, brush the edges and rim with 
oil and let cool for 40 minutes.

Eat.  "Your mouth will love you for the rest of your life."

John