Recipe: Sourdough Curry leaf Focaccia 30.01.22
Flavour + Crunch = *chef's kiss* Focaccia
Welcome to today’s issue of the newsletter. It is wonderful to have you here.
Today, I’ll be sharing how I include my favorite herb - curry leaves - into Sourdough Focaccia. This is my all time favorite #SourdoughIndia edition bread that reminds me a lot of my home in India and the endless supply of fresh curry leaves from our small garden, tended with a lot of love by my mother. Hope you’ll enjoy making and devouring this flavorful bread.
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Lots of Love,
Ekta
Flavour + Crunch = *chef’s kiss* Focaccia
The addition of curry leaf oil does just that in this recipe!
Curry leaf is called “meetha neem” or “curry patta” in Hindi and is commonly added to ‘Tadka’ or ‘Chhonk’ (wherein spices are bloomed in hot oil/ghee giving the final dish an ultimate flavour boost) in Indian cooking. The process of adding tadka to a dish holds an almost sentimental value for us Indians because while it amps up the flavour profile, it also adds an unmatched warmth & comfort to the dish. Goes without saying, I terribly missed adding curry leaves to my food after moving to Canada. Took me almost 9 months to spot some fresh leaves at an Indian grocery store and my pantry has never run out of it since then. Hope you will also enjoy making this Indian-flavor inspired Focaccia.
Curry Leaf Oil Recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
Curry leaves (washed & clean) - 20 g
Coconut oil / Grapeseed oil - 130 g
PROCESS:
Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in all the curry leaves.
Fry until the leaves become crispy (about 2mins) but not burnt/ over-fried.
Turn off the heat and let the oil cool down. This also allows time for the oil to absorb curry leaf flavour.
Blitz the oil + leaves coarsely and strain it. You could also do this step a week later for a more intense flavour. If you do, store the completely cooled-down oil with fried leaves in an airtight container.
Once blitzed, store the oil in a glass jar and save the strained bits to be used as Focaccia toppings.
Focaccia Recipe:
This is my go-to formula for making my weekly Focaccia that is baked in an 8” X 8” square baking pan. Baker’s percentages as well as ingredient weights for 2 different pan sizes are mentioned in the table below.
Note: You can also sub bread flour with all-purpose flour. Make sure to reduce the hydration to about 76%, if using APF.
PROCESS:
I’m sharing the process along with a general timeline I follow which could help you plan yours.
Feeding the starter (8:00am): I use a freshly fed, mature starter for my focaccia recipe. I keep using the surplus starter (or discard) which allows me to stick with only 1 jar of starter at a time. I maintain my starter at 100% hydration (i.e. equal parts flour & water). I feed my starter in 1:2:2 ratio and it takes about 4-5 hours to peak and become active & bubbly.
Note: You could also use discard (not older than 1-2 days) for this recipe. However, it is important to note that the frequency of starter’s refreshments / feeding cycles determines its strength. So, if your starter isn’t refreshed regularly, I would avoid using discard and build the levain by feeding it at least twice so it gives the desired results.
Autolyse (1:00pm): Mix all the flour and water in the recipe until the flour is fully hydrated (no dry flour is left). Do not overmix.
Mixing the Levain (2:00pm): Mix in the levain to the autolyzed dough until fully incorporated. I use the ‘slap & fold’ method for this. If using a stand mixer, mix on Speed 2 or 3 for around 5-6 mins.
Adding Salt & Curry Leaf Oil (2:25pm): Mix the salt in about 15 g of water and add this salt-water mix to the dough along with curry leaf oil. Mix it in well ensuring the salt has fully incorporated – about 2-3 minutes on a stand mixer at Speed 2.
Note: I call it a ‘double hydration method’ and find it to be a great way to increase the overall dough hydration gradually that keeps dough handling easier in the initial steps. You could also use Olive oil but I prefer curry leaf oil to maintain a consistent flavour.
Stretch & Folds (1st @ 3:25pm, 2nd @ 4pm & 3rd @ 4:30pm): Incorporate 3 stretches during the bulk ferment to build the dough strength. With each stretch, you’ll notice the dough becomes more elastic and gets easier to handle.
Cold retard (10-16hours): At the end of the last stretch, transfer the dough into the fridge for an overnight cold retard. This allows the fermentation process to continue at a slower rate that helps with developing a more complex and beautiful flavor profile.
Note: This step is optional. If you wish to bake the same day, let the dough rest for about an hour before proceeding to the next step.
Pull out the dough from the fridge (7:00am next morning) : Let it sit on the counter for an hour at room temperature.
Pre-shaping (8:00am): Transfer the dough to the work surface and shape into a slightly oval-shaped dough. Line the baking pan with parchment and spray/brush oil before transferring the dough to it. Cover & let it relax for about 3-4 hours.
Note: Depending on the temperature, this step could be faster or slower. Desired external temperature is 24-26C. Proofing will be longer in lower temps and vice versa.
Final Shape (11:00-11:30am): Lightly rub some oil on your fingers and gently start pulling & stretching the dough from under. Carefully stretch them towards the pan’s edges without tearing or degassing it. If the dough resists the stretch, allow it to rest for about 15-30 mins and then gently pull & stretch some more.
Pre-heat oven for at least 15-20 minutes 250C or 480F with a baking stone. You could also place a bigger baking tray if you don’t have a baking stone. This helps with an evenly baked & crunchy bottom crust.
Dimpling & topping (12:00 am): Spread the strained leafy bits on the dough surface with your fingers and drizzle some curry leaf. Now dimple the dough with oiled/wet fingers. Dimple evenly and press all the way down, almost touching the pan without tearing the dough. Drizzle some more oil, adorn the focaccia with halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle some coarse salt. Feel free to add other toppings (like herbs, onions etc) to your focaccia at this stage.
Baking: Reduce the oven temperature to 240C / 465F and bake for about 20-25 mins depending on your oven. The top crust should have nicely baked & be golden brown in colour.
Note: Since all ovens work differently, make sure to check the dough at the 20-minute mark and rotate the tray, if needed, to achieve an even browning.
Once baked, transfer the focaccia to a cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing. I also like to drizzle some more oil on hot focaccia immediately after the baking is done for a softer, more flavourful crust. However, this step is optional.
Additional Notes:
The curry leaf oil can be made ahead of time.
Feel free to use Olive oil instead. I prefer using Coconut or Grapeseed oil to allow the unique flavor of the curry leaves shine through.
While final shaping the focaccia, a tighter pre-shape (instead of flattening it to fit the baking pan at this stage) helps improve the overall crumb structure (airy & even). This would, however mean a longer final proof to allow the dough to relax and spread easily.
Generously drizzling oil on dough before baking adds a beautiful crunch to it. If you are hesitant about the overall quantity of oil being added to the recipe, feel free to skip the oil that’s added along with salt during the mixing stage. You’ll still end up with a delicious bread.
You can use any leftover curry leaf oil to enhance the flavour of so many dishes. Some of the ways I’ve used the extra curry leaf oil for that extra oomph (the possibilities are endless):
In salad dressings and soups
Drizzled on toasts
On omelette / fried egg
A few drops as garnish on coconut chutney
Share your creative ways to use up this oil in the comments below. Tag me on Instagram and share photos of your bakes when you try the Focaccia. I want to hear your thoughts. Share with your bread buddies too!
Coming up next…
Last January issue is a recipe of Janta Ruti, a not-so-famous but extremely delicious Indian flatbread.
One of the February’s recipe issue for paid subscribers is a Whole grain Rye Banana Bread Recipe. A lot more whole-grain goodness is being planned.