The words "hassle-free holiday trick" are music to our ears. We partnered with Delta® Faucet to announce their newest addition to the kitchen, ShieldSpray™ Technology. It makes holiday cleanup easy by keeping the splashing contained, so we're free to entertain more. And we're celebrating by sharing our favorite make-ahead sauces that'll add that something extra to all your holiday dinner parties.
If you've never tried your hand at making bread, let me introduce to you a good baby step in the right direction: focaccia. This bread is baking-sheet friendly, requires no kneading, and goes from oven to table like a champ.
A trio of dry ingredients forms the base (flour, kosher salt, and active dry yeast) and the addition of warm water makes the dough sticky, in a good way. There's no kneading required—a real time-saver and hand-cramp-saver in bread baking—just a good stir to get everything to meld together. Olive oil is an essential ingredient, with a good pool of it added to a big bowl for coating your dough. And well-oiled you want your dough: It should have olive oil in its crevices and cracks, and smoothed all over everywhere else.
It's true, you need to plan ahead just a bit for this one-pan appetizer: It's best with a two-day rise, but one will do if you're in a hurry (aka forgot to start it early!). Marian Bull describes what comes next just right:
On the day of, all you need to do is lay your dough into a baking sheet and pock it with your fingers, like you’re playing emphatic chords on a piano. Drizzle it frivolously with olive oil and salt, and bake.
And voila—straight to the table it goes for pulling apart, dipping, shoveling, and chomping on. And one sheet means one dish to clean, especially if you forgo any plates. Watch how this focaccia is made, and start planning for your own cocktail party.
| 6 1/2 | cups flour |
| 2 | tablespoons kosher salt |
| 1 | teaspoon active dry yeast |
| 3 1/2 | cups warm water |
| 1/4 | cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling |
| 1 | pinch coarse sea salt |
| 6 1/2 | cups flour |
| 2 | tablespoons kosher salt |
| 1 | teaspoon active dry yeast |
| 3 1/2 | cups warm water |
| 1/4 | cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling |
| 1 | pinch coarse sea salt |
We partnered with Delta® Faucet to celebrate their newest addition to the kitchen, ShieldSpray™ Technology. It allows hosts seamless cleanup (be gone, stubborn food specks) without making an even bigger mess (thanks to an innovative shield of water that surrounds the water jet). And all that means more time with guests—plus less time soaking, scrubbing, and shirt swapping.
Written by: Samantha Weiss Hills
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1 Comment
May I respectfully suggest this ratio, for those bakers who prefer the convenience and predictability afforded by using a scale?
Water 100%, AP Flour 100%, Instant Yeast 1% and Salt, 1.5%, plus a touch to sprinkle on top
Olive oil, a few glugs after a 30 minute rest of the dough in the bowl, is optional.
Oil used generously to grease the baking pans (yes, I said "pans" - more on that in a minute) and a touch drizzled on before baking gives it a nice flavor and aroma. I usually add a big handful of coarsely chopped, just-picked rosemary as well.
I said "pans" because if you divide the batter (a batch made with 800 g each of flour and water) you get twice as many edge pieces. Also, the bread bakes up more quickly, and if you cut it in half lengthwise and then crosswise in thirds, you get exactly the right size for a pressed (or not) sandwich. I wrap packages of 2 - 4 of the cut squares in plastic wrap and then freezer paper and pop them in the freezer to use between bakes. Also, I find it helps to use parchment, as a dough with this much hydration tends to stick, hard, to sheet pans. ;o)
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