The Fresh Loaf

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Focaccia... cookie sheet, 1.5cm high?

Moromillas Radec's picture
Moromillas Radec

Focaccia... cookie sheet, 1.5cm high?

Dear fresh loaf,

Please don't delete my topic. I don't know what to do and can't find info on this.

I'm searching for the holy grail, again. This time it's a multi purpose baking sheet.

The best I can find atm is a kmart cookie sheet that's 1.5cm high and 39.8 x 33.1cm.

I also want to make focaccia, is this a bad idea to buy this one? Will I be wasting my money on a disappointment? Or, can I make the focaccia dome in the sheet without it being a problem? Or, if I try that will it just spill out of the sheet?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Baker Frank's picture
Baker Frank

I understand your frustration because I also have done the search for high sided pans.

My advice,

  • don't let the difficult to impossible prevent you from comprising with an alternative.
  • I use, very successfully, porcelain lined cast iron fry pans and cast iron fry pan, both are about 9" diameter and      1 1/2" deep.
  • I also use when Chicago brand sheet pans when making focaccia for many.
  • Whatever pan I use the dough will rise higher than the pan wall.

Good luck,

Frank

GAPOMA's picture
GAPOMA

I make a lot of focaccia at my house and I actually don’t ever use a pan. After the dough is prepared I simply spread it out onto a piece of parchment that has been lightly oiled with olive oil. I cover and let it rise for an hour, Indent with my fingertips and put olive oil on the top, another 30 minutes rise, then use a peel to transfer into a 425 degree hot oven with a baking stone for 20 minutes.

Moromillas Radec's picture
Moromillas Radec

Oh.

Well, if you're able to put it on a pizza/baking stone, I guess the height doesn't matter that much?

I always thought that you make it to the size of the pan? Just like a bread loaf pan. Or perhaps that's the wrong way to make focaccia?

Moromillas Radec's picture
Moromillas Radec

Ok, I'm try to bring it right back to very first focaccia recipe.

One site, however, claims that the Romans didn't use a pan, but instead just dumped the dough straight on the ashes of a fire.

"Focaccia in Roman times was cooked in the ashes of a fire rather than above the fire."

https://itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com/easy-spelt-focaccia/

What the...?

Wouldn't the ashes make the focaccia dirty?

It makes zero sense.

Moromillas Radec's picture
Moromillas Radec

Ok, I found another source that says they used a flat stone and put that on the ashes with the dough.

No idea which is more accurate but it makes more sense than ancient Romans chowing down on bread covered in ash.

"Ancient Romans made a mixture of water, ground millet, barley, and oats (and later farro) and formed it into a flatbread that was then baked on a level stone (which lay on a bed of hot ashes)."

https://theamericanmag.com/a-brief-history-of-seductive-focaccia/

Moromillas Radec's picture
Moromillas Radec

While looking for videos about cooking with ashes, like the ancient Romans, I found this video on traditional damper.

He makes this beautiful dough which looks very similar to focaccia. Then he takes it and chucks it directly on the ashes. And I'm like "what the hell!" lol Then he covers it with more ash.

Perhaps the ancient Romans did in fact do something similar. I don't know.

https://youtu.be/sVWUKM3PRys