No-Knead Focaccia Recipe: Just Add SeasonalToppings
Photography by Marie Viljoen. Good homemade focaccia is irresistible, and impressive. The toppings, whether garden-grown, wild-foraged, or hunted down at at your local farmer’s market or supermarket, offer endless ways to be creative. A summer sour cherry and mugwort focaccia. The round cast iron skillet I usually bake it in allows the bread to fit and travel snugly in a backpack for the botanical picnics I feed to adventurous attendees in just about every month of the year. Three-cornered leek and waterblommetjie focaccia in Cape Town in spring. In spring, my focaccia may be laced with pungent ramp leaves, field garlic, dandelion flowers, nettle purée, or pheasant back mushrooms. Black currant and elderberry focaccia, using my kneaded focaccia dough method. Fig and mugwort flower focaccia, about to be baked. (Based in Dover, Pennsylvania, their inspiring line of vinegars is available online; but they appear to excel at any yeast-related.). You can see why it is is irresistible. The fun part, dimpling the delicately jiggly dough with olive-oiled fingers, follows. Blanched ramp leaves and ramp leaf stem confit adorn an April focaccia. No matter the season, there is a delicious topping to be found somewhere—in my pantry (all three shelves of it); my forage-cupboard, where preserved wild things live; at the local market; or on a tree nearby. Juicy sour cherries were roasted first to draw out some moisture. This draws out some moisture, leaving plenty for a luscious mouthful but saving the bread from being drowned. Onions and Maldon salt on one half; grapes, rosemary and sugar on the other. Which side would you choose? But rosemary is just fine, too. Early fall’s figs and mugwort, about to be roasted as a topping. Fragrant Muscat grapes and mugwort, after roasting. Concord and mugwort focaccia (recipe below). I use both methods, depending on the variety of grape. A tablespoon of vivid roasted Concord juice is added before the second fold. Sweet Concord swirls are balanced by the mugwort’s deep, artemisia fragrance. Concord Grape and Mugwort Focaccia This focaccia (adapted from Keepwell Vinegar’s recipe) celebrates the musky perfume of Concords and is dramatic enough to be taken to a party. Do this on four sides; this is a light stretch and fold. To bake: Oil your skillet or tray with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Reduce the heat 400 for another 15 minutes.