Ingredients
| 300–400 g kūmara or potatoes | |
| 500ml cold water | |
| 900g high-grade flour | |
| 10g active dry yeast | |
| 15g salt | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling | |
| flaky sea salt, for sprinkling |
Focaccia was the bread that I learnt how to make when I started my career as a chef at Baduzzi. It was the first time that I folded bread and began to understand how temperamental it is and how to react to the bread reacting itself. Once you understand that bread is a living thing, something to be respected and something that changes every time, bread becomes a fun science.
This recipe is inspired by the one at Baduzzi but the method is easier. No folding is involved – instead, you simply proof the bread in a bowl, then knock it back before proofing in the tray. By making this bread all year round I realised how the length of time for proofing differs enormously depending on the weather – I mean, by hours. In the summer, the bread will take less time to proof because of the warm temperature. In winter it will take longer, and you might need to find somewhere warmer to help the dough proof. I put the oven on to 50°C for 2 minutes, then turn it off, then place it in the oven.
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Instructions
| 1. | Place the whole kūmara or potatoes in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them. |
| 2. | Boil until soft and mashable. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool down, then peel. |
| 3. | Place all the ingredients in a stand mixer. With the dough attachment, beat on medium-high for 15 minutes. |
| 4. | When the dough begins to pull away and slap around the sides of the bowl, turn the mixer down to medium-low, and continue to knead for the remaining time. |
| 5. | In a large bowl, drizzle over a few tablespoons of oil and scrape in the dough. |
| 6. | Drizzle to coat with more oil and use your hands to rub it evenly around. |
| 7. | Cover with cling wrap and leave in a warm place to proof for 1–1½ hours, or until double in size. |
| 8. | Grease and line a 25cm baking tin. Rub it with more oil. |
| 9. | Gently transfer the dough to the tin, pressing it down with your hands. Leave to rise, uncovered, for another 1½ hours. |
| 10. | When the dough has almost finished rising, preheat the oven to 220°C fan-bake. |
| 11. | Put oil on your hands and gently push holes into the dough. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 15 minutes. |
| 12. | Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for another 25 minutes. |
| 13. | When the bread comes out of the oven immediately remove from the tray and place on a rack to cool. |
| 14. | Allow to cool down almost fully before chopping. |
Images and text from Alice
in Cakeland by Alice Taylor,
photography by Lottie
Hedley and Melanie Jenkins
(Flash Studios), published by
Allen and Unwin NZ, RRP $45.