cheddar & chive focaccia
Bread baking defined my quarantine activity list. Truly, it felt like finding home. Bread, after all, is the building block of human cuisine. Some years later in our evolution we offered loaves an edge, some flavor, some pizzazz, and now, even though your basic ole dough is perfectly lovely, so many forms exist to enjoy.
I stumbled upon this focaccia recipe from my old blog, which I’m not going to link because yikes. I chuckle to think how fancy and try-hard a lot of my foodwriting was – not to say there’s anything wrong with dipping into a new well of creativity, but my habits then mostly do not resemble my habits now and I admit many of the recipes weren’t within my dietary scope. Excepting this recipe. Certainly something I’d make now. A dose of tang from sharp yellow cheddar cut with flakes of chive and lots of thick sea salt on top, perfect accoutrement to sandwich fillings or a tomato-y pasta dish and for embracing some cozy in tumultuous times. Resting time means time to occupy oneself with other activities, perhaps a good puzzle or a home project. The bread will wait patiently for you to return and scoop it into a warm oven.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup bread flour
- 1 pkg active dry yeast
- 1 cup tepid water
- 1 heaping tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh chive, snipped into small pieces
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- kosher salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a glass measuring cup, add water and sprinkle yeast overtop. Let sit 5-10 minutes or until yeast begins to foam.
- In a metal bowl, combine flour and salt. Add olive oil to measuring cup with the yeast and water and pour into flour mixture. Combine with wooden spoon or your hands until a tacky but pliable dough forms and the ball begins to pull away from the walls of the bowl. If needed ,add flour one tablespoon at a time if dough seems too wet and sticky.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until cohesive and firm. Lightly oil a bowl and place dough inside, turning once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and set in a warm, draft-free area to rise. This will take about 60-90 minutes, possibly less if you live in Florida.
- Preheat oven to 425 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a thin coating of oil. Punch down dough dump onto a surface sprinkled with flour. Form dough into a circle about one inch thick. Poke the surface of the dough to create gentle indentations. Brush with oil, then sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese, chives, and salt. Transfer loaf to prepared baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let rise an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Remove towel and bake focaccia for about 10-12 minutes. Turn the broiler to High and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until cheese and crust are slightly browned. Keep a VERY close eye on the bread when boiling to prevent a casualty! Remove from oven and cool on a baking sheet for 10-20 minutes. Serve with soup, as sandwich bread, or dipped in oil and herbs.
