by Chef Paulo Machado – about bakery
Who wants bread? What about these wonders that are synonymous with food cultures around the world.
If in Minas Gerais we have cheese bread and in Bolivia cuñapê, both delicious pieces made with manioc-based flour, in India a meal is only complete if you have Naan, delicious bread baked in a very hot oven called a tandoor. This Indian recipe takes yogurt, salt and wheat in the dough.
On one of our FoodSafaris trips to Mexico, we had the chance to taste the pan de Muertos – a typical bakery product from Dia de los Muertos. And in Peru, delicious breads served with colorful and tasty butters from the award-winning chef Gastón Acúrio. In Catalunya we taste and learn to make the delicious pa amb tomàquet (homemade bread with tomatoes) and drizzled with a string of the best premium Arbequina olive oil, Nousegons, in olive groves.
Very well, in the Mediterranean region, bread is mandatory. The sfihas in Lebanon, the pissaladière in the Province, the Spanish cocas and even the Italian focaccia are large breads that resemble pizzas, but have the particularity of having more dough than filling, because after all the great quality of these breads is to appreciate the flavor of a good olive oil, which is used extensively for the recipe and the crunchy crust that is formed due to the dampness of the dough and the preparation in a very hot oven.
Well, let’s go to the recipe:
Traditional Focaccia
Ingredients:
1 kg of refined wheat flour
0.600 Kg of cold water
0.30 kg of salt
0.15 Kg of dry yeast for bread
Olive oil to be used in fermentation (about 80 ml)
Mode:
1- In a bowl add the flour, salt and mix well;
2- Then add the yeast and immediately add the cold water;
3- Work the dough by kneading well until very homogeneous and the gluten is activated, about 20 to 30 minutes (this means that the dough will be more elastic);
4- After kneading the dough, divide it into two and place each part on 30 by 20 cm baking sheets;
5- Add oil in each shape, put the dough to ferment inside the oil for 20 minutes.
6- Then perform the following operation repeatedly: open the dough, every 20 minutes, three times. Until it is completely rectangular.
7- The dough should be soft and slightly swollen, fill to taste (suggestion: sautéed mushrooms, olives or capers);
8- Bake in a preheated oven at 210º C for 20 to 30 minutes, until the bread is colored.
That’s it about bakery for now, if you want to see how this delicious recipe was made, go to @institutopaulomachado’s Instagram. Enjoy your food.
