Tag Archives: baking

Recipe: No-Fail, No-Knead Focaccia

22 Sep

This is a recipe I turn to time and again when serving Italian antipasti. It is the quick version of a Bon Appetit recipe, cutting the first rise time from 8-24 hours, to just 3-4. Even with the shorter first rise, this recipe has never failed me. I start the focaccia in the morning and it is ready at meal time, with only a few brief interventions in between while I am making other dishes. If you do have more time, definitely make the original, longer version. But if you need a quicker focaccia fix, search no further.

Note: Wherever possible, it is best to weigh key ingredients on a kitchen scale to preserve the correct ratios between them.

No-Fail, No-Knead Focaccia

Ingredients:
¼ oz. (7 gr.) active dry yeast
2 tsp. honey
2.5 c. (590 ml.) lukewarm water
22 oz. (625 gr.) all-purpose flour
5.5 tsp. (about 16 gr.) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
butter
Maldon sea salt flakes
fresh rosemary (optional)

Preparation:

1. Whisk the honey and lukewarm water in a medium bowl; add the yeast, whisk again, and let sit 5 minutes (the mixture should look foamy or at least creamy; if it doesn’t, you should start again with new yeast).

2. Add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain.

3. Pour 4 tbsp. of the extra-virgin olive oil into a large bowl, as the dough will rise a lot. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours. This is the first rise (quick version).

4. Generously butter a half-sheet (18×13 in./45×33 cm.) rimmed baking sheet. The butter will ensure that your focaccia doesn’t stick. After buttering, pour 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into the center of the sheet.

5. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up the edges of the dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the process. Do this two more times until you have made it all the way around the bowl; you want to deflate the dough while slowly forming it into a rough ball. Transfer the dough to the buttered baking sheet. Pour any oil left in the bowl over and turn the dough to coat. Let rise, uncovered, in a warm, dry spot until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours. This is the second rise. By the end of it, the dough should have expanded toward the edges of the baking sheet.

6. Place a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 450F/230C.

7. To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready. (If at this point the dough is ready to bake but you aren’t, you can chill it up to 1 hour.)

8. Lightly oil your hands. Gently stretch the dough to completely fill the sheet. Dimple the focaccia all over with your fingers, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan). Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the flaky sea salt (and rosemary, if using). Bake the focaccia until it is puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.

Photos below are from two different bakes; one with flaky salt only, the other with rosemary and coarsely ground salt as I didn’t have the Maldon at the time. Both versions are delicious–you really can’t go wrong.

9. The focaccia is best the day it is made, but is delicious toasted the next day, too. My current favorite toppings: burrata and good-quality anchovies. Or burrata and mortadella. Or burrata and marinated tomatoes or marinated roasted peppers. Or no toppings at all….

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Recipe: Crostata Ricotta e Visciole (Sweet Ricotta Tart with Cherry Preserves)

17 Dec

Recently, my husband pointed out that we had TWO jars of cherry preserves, TWO jars of fig jam, and an unruly assortment of other jams, jellies, and preserves in the fridge. I was accused of jam overpopulation. I admitted to accidently opening a new jar of cherry preserves (my favorite) without realizing we already had one in the fridge, but I still maintain the other jars were not my fault…. However, in the spirit of providing a solution to this problem, I offered to make a ricotta crostata with what was left in one of the jars of cherry preserves. One less jar in the fridge, and attention diverted to dessert. A win-win.

Actually, a ricotta crostata is always a win-win; the sweet ricotta is beautifully creamy and you can use any preserves or jam of your liking, though the most traditional way of preparing this Italian sweet is with cherry preserves. Second, the dough for this crostata comes together in a food processor, adding speed and ease to the recipe’s many virtues. And finally, a crostata not only makes a great dessert, but a tasty breakfast as well — and a good accompaniment to afternoon tea or coffee.

You can also let your creative side loose on the top crust; I made a very simple (unwoven) lattice with scalloped strips this time around.

Crostata Ricotta e Visciole
Recipe inspired by (and translated from) Antonio Romano Runchef
Note: This recipe is best made using a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.

Tart Dough:
225 gr. sugar (about 1 1/8 c.)
grated zest of one lemon
250 gr. butter (2 sticks + 1 tbsp)
120 gr. eggs (I used 3 yolks + 2 whole eggs, carefully adding the white of the last egg until I got to 120 gr.)
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
500 gr. flour (I used all-purpose; you can also use 00)

Filling:
450-500 gr. ricotta (16-oz. container); I try to find ricotta that is not super wet. Here in the U.S., I like Bel Gioioso Ricotta con Latte. I pour out any little liquid that may have collected in the container and dab the top with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture.
100 gr. sugar

250 gr. cherry preserves (about 3/4 c.)

Directions:
1. Place the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse until combined.
2. Cut the butter into cubes. (Note: An easy way to cut butter into cubes is to use a bench scraper; cut the sticks lengthwise into quarters, then chop into cubes. ) Add the butter cubes to the sugar in the food processor and continue to pulse until incorporated; the butter will look grainy. Add the eggs and vanilla and process until well combined.
3. Add the flour and sprinkle the pinch of salt over. Process just until a smooth dough forms.

4. Turn the dough onto a floured countertop and roll into a thick log. Pat into a rectangle, wrap in plastic film (or put in a sealable bag) and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Meanwhile, butter a tart pan. Make the ricotta filling by mixing the ricotta and sugar together; let it sit, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully incorporated.

6. Cut the dough into a 2/3 piece and a 1/3 piece. Return the 1/3 piece to the refrigerator. Roll the 2/3 piece into a circle about 3 inches wider than your tart pan. Carefully drape the dough over the pan, lifting it gently to tuck it into the inner diameter of the pan. If any dough overlaps the edge, press on it to crimp it off. Save the extra dough.
7. Spoon 2/3 of the preserves ( 1/2 c.) over the base of the tart. Carefully add the ricotta mixture, smoothing the top as best as possible. Dollop the remaining preserves across the top of the ricotta mixture and gently swirl.

8. Roll the remaining 1/3 piece of dough into a rectangle at least as long as the diameter of your tart pan. Cut into 10 strips, and lay the strips in a diamond pattern across the top of the tart. (You can also re-use any extra dough you have leftover from lining the tart pan, to make the 10 strips.)

9. Bake the crostata at 170C/340F for about 35 minutes, or until the lattice is golden. Let cool and then serve.

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Recipe: Brown Butter Espresso Brownies

22 Oct

Sometimes, you need a pick-me-up in the form of caffeine + chocolate, a match made in heaven. These rich, moist brownies more than hit the spot. Pair them with a cup of coffee and you will be good to go for quite some time; perfect for a busy weekend afternoon!

Note: To make these, you will need a kitchen scale.

Brown Butter Espresso Brownies
(recipe adapted from Julie Marie Eats)

Ingredients:
130 g (4.6 oz) granulated sugar
130 g (4.6 oz) brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
120 g (4.2 oz) butter
75 g (2.7 oz) dark chocolate chips
70 g (2.5 oz) neutral oil
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
75 g (2.7 oz) all-purpose flour
35 g (1.3 oz) cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon salt
75 g (2.7 oz) dark chocolate chips, to fold into the batter

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/ 325ºF. Spray a 20×20 cm (8×8 in) square pan with baking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again with baking spray.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the butter and cook over medium/high heat until it is golden brown; it will take about 8-10 minutes. Pour the browned butter into a medium bowl, scraping out all the brown bits from the saucepan. Add the cocoa powder and whisk in. Add the chocolate chips, let sit for a few minutes, then stir until melted.

3. Stir together the flour, cornstarch, espresso powder, and salt.

4. Place the eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy; this will take about 4 minutes.

5. Add the melted butter/chocolate mixture, plus the oil and vanilla, and mix until combined. Turn the hand mixer off, add the flour mixture to the batter, and gently mix everything on the lowest setting until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

6. Add the extra chocolate chips and gently fold them in. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Let cool, then serve.

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