Baking frenzy during a pandemic
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SINGAPORE - When Singaporeans hunkered down during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, they were drawn to the kitchen, cooking and baking to self-soothe during uncertain times. This is a recipe from me for Garden Focaccia, which encourages bakers to get creative.
Ingredients:
250g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and brushing
175ml lukewarm water
Vegetables
Coarse sea salt
Method:
Place the flour, salt and instant yeast in the bowl of a food processor. Cover and pulse two or three times to mix the dry ingredients. Add the oil and water. Pulse 14 to 16 times, until a ball of dough forms. To do this by hand, whisk the flour, salt and instant yeast to combine in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, pour in the water and olive oil, and mix with a large spoon until a sticky dough forms.
Lightly flour your hands and shape the dough into a ball. Coat the inside of a mixing bowl with olive oil. Place the ball of dough in it, smearing the bottom with the oil in the bowl. Flip the ball over. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it sit until it has doubled in size. This will take two to three hours, depending on the weather and how active your yeast is.
When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the bowl. Grease a 20cm square or round cake tin, or a 23cm enamelled cast iron pan, with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan and stretch it so that it reaches the edge of the pan. Or line a baking sheet with baking paper, place the dough on top and shape it however you want. The dough should be about 1cm thick. Cover with plastic wrap or a paper towel and let it rise for 40 minutes.
Wash, dry and slice the vegetables with which you intend to decorate the focaccia. Coat with olive oil and set aside. Preheat the oven to 230 deg C.
After 40 minutes, brush the top of the dough with olive oil. Sprinkle on the coarse sea salt. Decorate the focaccia, pressing the vegetables onto the dough. When done, you can brush the entire top of the focaccia with more olive oil, or leave it be.
Place in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 200 deg C. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the focaccia is light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Serves four.
Tan Hsueh Yun joined The Straits Times in 1991 and is senior food correspondent. She covers all aspects of the food and beverage scene in Singapore and believes food is Singapore’s ultimate soft power.
