August 11, 2009 - 6:51pm
focaccia success! thanks to Reinhart... and question about parchment paper.
I followed The Bread Baker's Apprentice's instructions almost to a T and it came out really well. Just wanted to post a couple quick pics and look for suggestions for improvement. Oh yeah, and I did not use parchment paper or a slipat or anything. Was this a bad thing? I think the bottom came out great. I baked it at 450 for 12 minutes, then let it cool for 20mins before cutting into it.
On top was rosemary, oregeno, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and some garlic powder. Next time I'll use real garlic, and I'll wait to put the toppings on until the bread is half baked.
Share
Nothing's bad if it works!
No need to use parchment (or silpat, or anything else) if you choose not to. Just sliding the bread onto a good quality baking sheet will work just fine for most applications.
Hello, Feedmittens! Nice looking Focaccia!
Sylvia
I will have to try it. look de-lish
and makes me hungry! LOOL Thanks for the lovely pcitures!
Yummy! I've been exploring TBBA lately and am looking forward to making the focaccia. Thanks for posting pics!
Summer
Thanks for the comments, all. It was one of the easiest ones I have had the pleasure of baking (and eating!). One side note is that I used King Arthur unbleached Bread Flour (FINALLY available at the market near me). I am not sure how different this would have ended up with a lower gluten All Purpose flour but might experiment just in case (as the all purpose is still about half the cost at the store I go to.)
Oh, and dumarest, I'm not sure what 'link' you're referring to. I didn't post a link to the recipe, but it can be found in Peter Reinhart's 'The Bread Baker's Apprentice'.
Hope everyone else is as satisfied with theirs as I was. More to come...
I like parchment paper because it makes it easy to slip a loaf onto the baking stone, and it protects the baking stone from getting dirty looking (although that doesn't hurt it.) As Shiao-Ping once mentioned, the parchment paper makes no difference when it comes to heat transfer from the stone to the dough/bread.
BTW ...nice foccacia!
Brian
The parchment paper is just an extra surface for you to work with. It can help with transfering the focaccia or other bread, and it also can make cleanup easier. Rather than cleaning your sheet pan, you can just pull off the paper, and you are 95% clean. In the end, it comes down to personal preference.
Take care,
Danny - Sour Flour
http://www.sourflour.org
Looks nice! I also found the BBA focaccia satisifyingly easy and beautiful and delicious. Yours looks terrific. I have found that this recipe works fine without parchment paper. I've just lightly oiled the baking pan and it turns out perfectly. And the whole "loaf"(?) of focaccia slips out beautifully without any risk of breaking.
Karen