AUGUST 2022

WINE & DINE

PAULO GALANG Starter Lab Bakery One of my favourite sourdough applications is focaccia as it’s super versatile. It can be enjoyed plain or as a side to any dish. The olive oil gives it the added lightness to the crumb and crispy crust with a floral aroma when it comes out of the oven. Plus, it’s baked on a tray so you don’t have to do any fancy shaping and scoring! SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA Ingredients • 365ml water (room temperature) • 125g ripe sourdough starter (fed at least one day ahead – refer to the Starter Lab recipe on the next page) • 500g bread flour • 12g sea salt (plus additional for sprinkling) • 25g extra virgin olive oil (plus additional for greasing pan) Instructions 1. In a mix ing bowl, measure all ingredients except for the flour and salt. 2. Hand mix until the sourdough starter is broken down into smaller pieces. 3. Add bread flour and mix until there’s no more flour lumps. 4. Let it rest to “autolyse” for 30 minutes. 5. Finally, add in the salt and 30g of water and mix with your hands in a circular motion until the dough is a bit smooth, and cover the container with a cloth. 6. Let it proof for around 1.5 hours, stretching and folding the dough twice – at the 30-minute mark and again at the one-hour mark. 7. Transfer into an olive oil greased tray (on baking paper if needed). 8. Let it proof at room temperature (26°C) until pillowy and roughly doubled in size (around 30 to 45 minutes). 9. If baking the next day, place the tray directly in the fridge. Bring out to room temperature 30 minutes before baking. (You can keep the dough for up to two days in the fridge, as long as it’s covered properly.) 10. Finish with generous splashes of olive oil and sea salt on top, and dimple the focaccia, using your fingers to sink into the dough before baking. 11. Bake in a preheated 260°C degree oven for around 30 minutes.

Learn to make a beautiful focaccia bread from scratch, plus a sourdough starter you can use for all your future loaves!

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AUGUST2022