DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

Focaccia is the quintessential party food: completely self-contained, visually appealing, easily handled. Consumers of focaccia need no plates, forks, or dips. Unlike, for example, chip-and-salsa consumers, they need not hover near the food trays when grazing (although they tend to hover near the focaccia anyway — but this is a limitation of the consumer, not the bread).

There is a world-class recipe for focaccia in Peter Reinhart’s Crust & Crumb. If you’re a fan of focaccia or if you’re looking for that perfect appetizer or side dish for your upcoming barbecue, track down a copy of Crust & Crumb and then check back here for the rest of this series: I’ll present a companion to the official recipe, to provide a layperson’s perspective on Reinhart’s “master formula.” The recipe, as published, is clear and accurate, yet I’ve found a few ways to push and pull it to create superior results.

The series will mimic the baking schedule:

• Day 1 - make the poolish (starter)
• Day 2 - make, scale, and shape the dough
• Day 3 - top and bake

By way of preview, here are the three focaccias I made last week:

• roma tomato, caper, mozzarella
• potato and rosemary
• sun-dried tomato and mozzarella