eat make read

When I was stuck in airports a few weeks ago, I ended up buying more than my share of magazines. One of them, O magazine, had a whole article about blueberries and tasty recipes to make with them. One them was this recipe for blueberry focaccia and it looked absolutely amazing. I studied in Italy when I was in college and the one thing, hands down, that I couldn’t get enough of was foccacia bread, so it has a soft spot in my heart. I ripped that puppy out and put it in my purse to make sure I didn’t lose it.

This weekend I picked up a pint of blueberries at the market eager to get started on my unconventional focaccia recipe. It’s really simple, it just takes time because you have to wait for the dough to rise twice, once in the bowl and once layed out on a baking sheet. After the second rising, you sprinkle the blueberries over the dough along with some brown sugar (yum!). Soon after placing the baking sheet in the oven, you start to smell pure goodness and it’s clear your tastebuds are going to have a party.

When I pulled the bread out of the oven it was a beautiful sight. The berries had turned a deep purple and the bread a lovely golden color. I let it cool as Aaron and I took in the cinnamony smell, eager to get a taste of it. I cut us both a piece and when we bit into it, both our eyes lit up. The bread is soft and threaded with hints of cinnamon and brown sugar while the blueberries add a juicy contrast to the bread. The bread wasn’t exactly what I would call focaccia, but it was most certainly something that I won’t be forgetting for a while. I think it will be making a regular appearance in my breakfast rounds. Try it out, you won’t be dissappointed!

Blueberry Focaccia
from O magazine

I cut my recipe in half and it worked out well.

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large egg
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
Vegetable oil, for greasing
2 pints (5 to 6 cups) blueberries
1
In a small bowl, mix yeast and water; set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir egg into yeast; pour into flour mixture and mix on low speed. Add butter, and mix until combined. Knead dough until smooth and pliable but still relatively wet, about 5 minutes on a stand mixer.
2
Grease a large bowl and 2 baking sheets with oil; set baking sheets aside. Scrape dough into bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3
Preheat oven to 400°. Halve dough, and place 1 piece on each baking sheet. Stretch out slightly, until dough forms a 1-inch-thick oval; cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise again about 1 hour.
4
With greased fingers, dimple surface of each loaf; sprinkle with 1 pint berries and 1/4 cup brown sugar each. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating once. Slice and serve warm.