Cherry Focaccia
On Thursday we are invited to friends for a Rosh Hashanah dinner. I asked what they wanted me to bring hoping they would say bread, but no ... dessert. I'm not much of a dessert maker, but my year plus exposure to this site has begun to show me the possibilities. I was well on my way to trying the Cherry Galette (or as Chef John puts it - Cherry Folditup) on Food Wishes. Then I saw Floyd's grape foccacia and that got me to thinking. Here's what I thought:
I started with Jim Lahey's Focaccia Dolce (page 144 of My Bread) but made many, many changes:
Cherry Focaccia |
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KABF | 150 |
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Korean Flour | 114 |
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Water | 132 |
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Yeast | 4 |
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Salt | 4 |
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Sugar | 50 |
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Honey | 12 |
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Butter | 30 | 2 T |
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Beaten egg | 50 | 1 egg |
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Canned cherries | 300 |
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| 846 |
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Mix flour (less 60g) water, yeast and autolyze for 30 minutes | ||||
Add flour, salt, sugar, honey, butter and egg |
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and mix for 5 minutes in stand mixer at medium speed | ||||
Stretch and fold in bowl after 20 minutes |
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Stretch and fold on counter after 20 minutes |
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brush off excess flour |
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Press into 1/2 inch thick disk |
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Transfer to lightly oiled baking sheet |
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Cover top with canned cherries in syrup |
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Proof for 1 hour 10 minutes |
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Bake at 400 on preheated stone for 15 minutes |
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Then decrease heat to 300 and bake for 30 minutes more | ||||
Until internal temperature reaches 205degF |
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Now this was really delicious:
But my beta testers decided that the ratio of bread to topping is just too high:
Which got me to thinking that what this really needs is a filling - perhaps a sweet ricotta filling. Does anyone know if one should, and if so how to make a filled focaccia? Any other suggestions for how to make a tastier sweet for a sweet New Year? Thank you! -Varda
Comments
Brilliant colour, Varda! :)
The easiest way to make a focaccia with filling is to spread the dough and scatter the filling over and fold it gently either in half or in thirds (=letter fold) before it goes into the final proof. Never done with soft cheese like Ricotta (though it sounds yummy!) but been folding various kinds of filling like that for years with success. My latest favourite is chilli jam. :) With ricotta cheese, it might be safer to spread it on the top rather than folding inside because it's quite moist. (chilli jam is 'wet' too, but you only use it a small amount) How about folding in cherries and top with ricotta (and a few more cherries, if you like) instead.....with a few sprinkle of sliced almond, too, maybe?
lumos
That looks delicious Varda! At first glance I thought you had glazed it. If it were me, I would cut it like a cake and fill it with ricotta after it had cooled down. Then reassemble. You could add more cherries to the filling.
Best,
Syd
Now I have two options - folding or filling after baking. I'll have to give the matter careful thought. Thanks so much. And what is chili jam? -Varda
A third option for you to consider Varda is injection. It depends somewhat upon how dense the crumb of the bread is, but if it's a medium to light crumb you could inject a flavoured pastry cream or marscapone cream filling directly into the focaccia using a pastry bag with a narrow (#1 size) plain tip. I'd try it during the last ...say 10-15 minutes of baking. Just squirt some filling into the soft dough while it's hot and then complete the baking. The filling would cook into the pockets of dough you've injected and when the focaccia is fully baked become a baked custard/marscapone Cherry Focaccia.
This is a fabulous looking dessert bread you've made Varda! Very tasty looking.
Franko
Franko, That sounds amazing and totally above my dessert baking level. But of course baking levels can change. Thanks so much for the suggestion and for your kind remarks. -Varda
Chilli Jam
It's great with lots of things, like grilled chicken/pork/hamburgers/etc, cheese , etc. etc. I sometimes add it to marinade for bbq, too.
You can buy it but also it's quite easy to make it yourself.
Recipe 1
Recipe 2
lumos
Looks delicious. -Varda
Hi Varda,
I think this particular bread is really good for Halloween party. I have some frozen sour cherries in my freezer so I may use them in your recipe.
Thanks, Kimmy
But be careful with that bread to topping ratio. Everyone's a critic :) I'm going to try baking it in two layers with cherries mixed with yogurt in the middle and we'll see how that goes. -Varda
Nice focaccia, I love cherries too!
Schiacciata is very much the same as focaccia. Italian Flat bread! There are some lovely examples to google, with recipes. It's usually layered in a pan with grapes or choice of filling another layer placed on top with toppings. You can also add anise seeds, Sambuca liqeur and top with some crunchy sugar to the grape Schiacciata as Carol Field does in her 'Focaccia' book. The peach focaccia's look delicious too, just topped with fresh peaches.
Sylvia
Not sure why.
it's because I accidentally deleted my photos, but I didn't do that this time. Are you having trouble with other posts or just this one
I definitely want to try it with grapes. Today I made another one (for first RH celebration - just family so they can be my guinea pigs) where I proofed two layers of focaccia (or schiacciata?) separately and then before baking put a layer of cherries mixed with greek yogurt between them and then cherries and slivered almonds on top a la Lumos. I doubt I'll be able to get a picture of the inside tonight what with the hungry vultures who will be descending but here is what it looks like still in the spring form pan:
Inspired by you (or prodded?) I baked this in my WFO after finishing baking an Attamura with my new improved Atta flour. (I hope to blog about that later, when things settle down a bit.) After the focacccia finished I put in a bean and sausage stew for dinner which is hopefully cooking as I write this. That's enough for me. All with retained heat, instead of coals, fire, etc. like you.
This photo and cherry focaccia looks devine and so colorful. The picture came through nicely, but still the first post only shows sometimes.
You can make Focaccia in the oven with wood and/or hot coals still burning for a great flavor and carmelized fruits and toasty nuts..or a regular focaccia, just place it not to close to the flame/coals...keep a close watch and rotate it for even baking. Foil does work here to and can be tented loosely on top if it's getting to brown to quick..I use the foil pans a lot for cooking and covering. Great for woodfired turkey and chicken. I get a stack at Costco and it is my best buy for a good supply.
How about the beans and sausage stew, delicious! What great dinner.
I have a couple of nice old bean pots, I picked up very reasonable from e-bay..one I have even used as a covered pot for baking bread in the home oven and it worked just like my Bell Cloche. It can go in an oven up to 500F...but bring up any clay pots/pans to heat slowly..or they could crack..If you would like some easy 'baked beans' and cannellini beans are just wonderful..they are thin tender skinned and sooo creamy.. I place them in a 'warmed' bean pot cooked or uncooked 'baked'..uncooked leave them overnight in a cooling oven.. and the next day...baked beans : ) Use enough water so they don't dry out. I wouldn't use meat if think the oven might cool to much before the beans come out.
Happy Baking : )
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia, Once again so many great ideas. It certainly didn't occur to me to bake the focaccia with fire in, but I can see that could have been terrific. I have to think about sequencing. My big worry is that if the heat decreases before the bread goes in the crust doesn't bake properly. But I could bake with fire while I am building up the fire instead of when I'm taking it down. -Varda
Broken hazel nuts or pecans inside dough also sounds tempting. The color is extreme! Instead of cutting you could make two thinner disks to bake. Cover one with cherries and the other plain. Filling over the plain one (stracciatella chip yogurt?) and top with the cherry disk. Double decker style? Whipped cream on the side.
Oh, photo! love the almond slivers! nice touch!
Hey what do you think about using coconut milk and dusting the buttered pan with coconut flakes? Forget the filling....
and in vanilla pudding or yogurt or even ice cream. I will find a picture for you.
Oh wow, look what I found...! ! !
http://www.bofrost.de/Produkte/Torten-fuer-die-Festtafel/Stracciatella-Kirsch-Torte-24-cm/pu8111
Translation: Tart(?) for the Party table/ Chocolate (chip or flake) Cherry Tart ..but not enough cherries or focaccia! I do like the idea of fingerpainting in the cherry filling. Making swirls and such. :)
-Mini
on the idea of a yogurt with chocolate chips (or shavings or whatever) filling. This dessert making could get to be a very fun / creative / dangerous activity. -Varda
Wow......::droooooool::
lumos :)
Hi Varda,
I'm late to the party; your baking looks wonderful as always.
I too understand Schiacciata to be layered, with a filling in between. The ricotta would surely work as a filling. We used a "must" made with raisins soaked overnight in wine for the Breadmatters courses.
Lovely and vibrant red
Best wishes
Andy
Andy, I'm glad I asked, as I'm learning a lot from the responses. Could I ask you to give me a little more info on Must? It is not a searchable term unfortunately since it's a common word. Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda
Hi Varda,
soak the raisins overnight, then blend to a puree; that is your "must"
BW
Andy
ps do you have Andrew Whitley's book "Breadmatters"?
That sounds delicious. I don't have Whitley's book. Is that a recommendation? -Varda
Just to add about 'must.' In general terms, 'must' is basically mashed grapes (or other fruits). That's what wine and authentic Balsamic vinegar are made from . ;)
is sorely lacking. Thanks for filling me in. -Varda
Call me food-obsessed. That's what EVERYONE around me does. :p
Hi Varda,
Andrew was my "Boss" for at least 8 years at Village Bakery. I then assisted in delivery of his "Breadmatters" courses for 3 years in my early teaching years, now 6 or 7 years ago.. He is co-founder of the "Real Bread Campaign" in the UK.
His book is an intellectual tour de force, but its focus is quite British in many ways. For all that, the criticism he levels will doubtless resonate in many ways with food champions in the US in the same way it does with we who seek alternatives to mainstream British bread. Given his background as a journalist with BBC World Service as a Russian expert, perhaps you wil quickly appreciate why I like making Rye Breads?!
BW
Andy
is good enough for me. I have a half dozen bread books but only use Hamelman with any regularity, so I haven't been anxious to add to the collection. But I am interested to read what Whitley has to say. Thanks for the recommendation. -Varda