BKD Cookbook Club.....All things Bread!

It's time again for  Jo Tracey's BKD (Brookford Kitchen Diaries) Cookbook Club. I've followed Jo for awhile and have read several of her books, including one of her most recent which features a group of ladies who have a cookbook club. If you haven't read any of Jo's books, you should.

This month we're are talking about all things bread. It could be (as Jo says), toasties, jaffles, hamburgers...anything that goes in or on bread. I did have to look up toasties and jaffles...what cool words right?

I reached for my favorite sourdough cookbook. I've been wanting to make Focaccia and decided this would be the perfect time. 

Focaccia is a mostly flat Italian oven-baked bread. It has a crisp exterior and a soft, chewy interior. It is often eaten plain, but can also be used for sandwiches or even pizza. I was going to go with pizza, but opted for a sandwich. 

Now, a basic focaccia can probably be achieved in just a few hours, however, my sourdough version, took quite a bit longer, but it sure was worth it. I was tempted to add a bit of yeast but decided not to. 

My husband bought me this cookbook a few years ago, and I've made quite a few recipes. One of my favorites is banana bread. I mean, banana bread is amazing, but sourdough banana bread. Oh my goodness. 

Now, onto the focaccia!

For whatever reason, I have 3 jars of starter in my fridge...lol. I started this in 2020 and it's been going strong. 

The first step is to feed the starter to get it active. Since I don't make bread every day, I put it in my fridge until I'm ready to use it. 

The best way to get the most accurate measurements is to use a scale. Also, I have been on the hunt for a deep ceramic bowl and I found a set of 3 at a yard sale. I LOVE this large one!

This dough was very interesting, it was more on the wet, soft side and I really had no idea if I was doing it right. 

Once in the pan, it went through a process of getting to the point that it would stay to the sides and not pull away, then rise for another two hours before dimpling. 

I did half roasted garlic, and half plain. I used a coarser salt to sprinkle on the top. Don't forget to drizzle with olive oil. Olive oil is a key to focaccia. 

Oh my!!! I will definitely be making this again! 

For the sandwich, I went with a cucumber and arugula sprouts. I took some cream cheese and seasoned it with dill and garlic, spread it on both sides of the bread, layered on the cukes and sprouts and topped with some goat cheese. OMG. So good!

It was both crispy and chewy and filled with flavor. 

We are taking the month of September off but will resume in October where we're going to hit the salad, whether hot or cold. Jo is going to be getting back from an amazing vacation in Tuscany so she'll want to lighten things up. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin