Foccacia

All month long, in preparation for November’s Daring Baker’s Challenge, I carried the recipe around with me in my bag to read, during a moment’s respite, and acquaint myself with the instructions.  Last Monday all Daring Bakers blogged about their baking results.  I should have done the same, right?  Wrong.  I forgot to bake my bread and post about it.  With so many things to do, it totally skipped my mind.  Yikes! 

If you’re curious about the Daring Bakers and their challenges, this is the way Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups accurately describes the group and its goal: 

"Each Daring Baker challenge is an opportunity to unleash your power as a Daring Baker.  Daring means whatever your level of experience, you are ready to reach just a little bit beyond where you’ve been comfortable. 

The Daring Bakers, now into the 300 range, from all over the globe is a very diverse group (Have you ever heard more of an understatement).  Part of that diversity is the level of experience the individual brings to the group.  In yoga, all start with the same position.  In the DB, all start with the same recipe.  In yoga, the beginning student to the most advanced doing the same position each reach just past their comfort level, each working very hard, each look very different at the end of the exercise.  In the DBs, all start with the same recipe and most especially by design with this challenge, each presentation will be different from all others."

I really like her analogy to yoga.  Tanna chose the November’s Daring Bakers challenge — Tender Potato Bread, a recipe from Home Baking by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.  A week later, I arise to the Daring Bakers challenge and unleash the Daring Baker within.

Being a Daring Baker, I get to try new recipes, techniques, and take risks, as Tanna points out and I did it  again with the challenge of making Tender Potato Bread.  I’d never tasted this, much less thought of making such a bread.  What I liked about Tanna’s choice was that she was very detailed.  Her instructions answered all my questions before I could ask them. 

Also, I liked the fact we had a choice in the types of bread to make — loaves, rolls or foccacia. I always wanted to make foccacia, so that’s what I chose to make.  The bread making process was challenging for me, especially since the dough was very soft.  Very soft.  Tanna warned us about this but I think my dough was softer than usual.  When I put it on the board and tried to knead it, it felt like something out of The Blob.  Luckily, I was able to shape my foccacia and bake it. I loved the simple topping of olive oil, coarse salt, and rosemary leaves (Tanna also offered a topping variation of anchovy and onions). 

I really liked the taste of this bread — the potatoes really gave it a distinct or as Tanna described, savory, taste.  Very nice.  I have some left over, which I’ll take to work for lunch.  I’m having fun unleashing the Daring Baker within.  It’s a challenge, but it’s also fun learning process.

You can find the recipe on Tanna’s blog here and check out the Daring Bakers official blogroll to see what others have done. 

 Paz

For more info, go here.

23 Responses to “Daring Bakers #12: Tender Potato Bread”

1. Olivia Kroth on December 4th, 2007 1:22 am

   Hello Paz
   Your daring potato bread looks delicious. The rosemary leaves probably give it a Mediterranean twist. I love the taste of rosemary.

2. Pille on December 4th, 2007 4:04 am

   And I thought I was late when I baked and posted about the tender potato bread last Tuesday;) Better late than never, you know:)

3. Paz on December 4th, 2007 8:54 am

   Hi Olivia: I love the taste of rosemary, too.

   LOL! Hi Pille: You’re right. Better late than never. I’m off to see your bread.

   Paz

4. Simona on December 4th, 2007 4:54 pm

   If it can be of any consolation, here’s what I did: I read the recipe 4-5 times to make sure I understood it all, then I peeled and cut the potatoes and put them in a pot and promptly forgot to leave the lid half-off. Mashed potatoes anybody? Great job! Nothing like a piece of focaccia to keep you going on the snow.

5. Gretchen Noelle on December 4th, 2007 7:32 pm

   Great looking bread! Hopefully you got lots of great tips from everyone else baking it first!

6. Lydia on December 4th, 2007 8:21 pm

   I think your foccacia looks lovely! You are most definitely a Daring Baker.

7. Ivonne on December 5th, 2007 1:12 am

   Paz,

   I’m so glad you were able to make the bread! Your focaccia looks fabulous!

8. Paz on December 6th, 2007 2:22 am

   LOL! Simona: Thanks for making me smile. And yes, the foccacia did keep me going in the snow.

   Hi Gretchen: Welcome and thanks!

   Hi Lydia: Thanks! I’m beaming!

   Hi Ivonne: Thanks! I’m glad I was able to make it. Yay!

   Paz

9. Mike on December 6th, 2007 5:27 am

   Hi Paz!
   I have to agree with you about the blob Also the amount of bread that the recipe made was, to say the least, alot for 2 people. You’re lucky that you’re hitting winter there and don’t have to contend with heat & humidity like us poor souls south of the equator.
   Keep up the great posts (& pics)!
   Mike & Paul.

10. joy on December 6th, 2007 6:02 am

    Ooooo, that looks really good! I love foccaccia! I’m gonna have to ask my husband to bake a loaf tonight!

    joy
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11. maria~ on December 6th, 2007 2:09 pm

    Wonderful job on the foccacia! I especially loved the flavor of my foccacia when it came fresh out of the oven.

12. MyKitchenInHalfCups on December 7th, 2007 8:37 am

    So sorry it’s taking me so long to get here.
    Your bread is lovely Pas! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
    It was soft and a lot of soft!
    And thanks so much for such kind words.

13. Ed Tep on December 7th, 2007 4:54 pm

    Potato and bread. What a great combination. ANd with the added bonus of rosemary! Yum!

14. anna maria on December 8th, 2007 4:40 pm

    I like that you made it as focaccia with rosemary. I bet it’s very tasty!

15. Rosa on December 8th, 2007 9:00 pm

    Wonderful! Your focaccia looks great! I bet it tasted really good…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

16. Christine Rimmer on December 9th, 2007 3:12 pm

    Happy Holidays, Paz!

    I love focaccio bread, too. This one looks-and sounds–especially delish.

17. Paz on December 10th, 2007 2:22 am

    Hi Mike and Paul: I don’t envy you with the heat and humidity. I’ll send cool thoughts your way.

    Hi Joy: Did your hubby get to make your foccacia for you? I hope so.

    Hi Maria: Welcome and thank you. I too love the bread straight out of the oven. Yum!

    Hi Tanna: Thanks!

    Hi Ed: Yum!

    Hi Anna Maria: Yes, very tasty.

    Hi Rosa: Yes, it did taste very good. I’m glad.

    Hi Christine: Happy holidays to you, too! I have to make focaccia more often. I loved it!

    Thanks for stopping by, everyone.

    Paz

18. Dolores on December 10th, 2007 9:28 pm

    Holiday months are challenging, but I’m glad you found a way to fit this one in. Your focaccia looks fabulous!

19. Paz on December 11th, 2007 6:54 pm

    Hi Dolores: Thank you!

    Big hug,
    Paz

20. Deborah on December 14th, 2007 12:34 pm

    I’m so glad to see that you were able to make this! I thought it made such a nice focaccia - yours looks wonderful!

21. Paz on December 16th, 2007 8:42 pm

    Hi Deborah: Welcome and thanks for your kind compliment. I’m really glad I was able to make it.

    Best,
    Paz

22. Luloah on December 31st, 2007 5:29 pm

    My potato bread never turns out right!

    I guess I should leave baking to the bakers.

23. Paz on January 1st, 2008 11:17 am

    Hi Luloah: Welcome! I’m not a baker but I was able to make my bread. Don’t give up! Keep trying. Keep practicing. It will come just the way you want.

    Best,
    Paz

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