The Bite (Issue 23): The key to better focaccia

Or how I learned to stop punching my bread dough Once the pandemic hit, the types of content shared in my bread baking groups on social media slowly began to shift. There were desperate pleas to buy [flour and yeast](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMDMvMjkvYmFraW5nLWJyZWFkLWNvbWZvcnQtc3Vydml2YWwtcHN5Y2hvbG9neS9XA3NwY0IKYj5XAD9iK8YzcFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl) from fellow bakers as grocery shelves sat bare; hoards of new members began sharing photographs of their sourdough starters, naming them when they were new and mourning them when they had stopped bubbling; and a particular type of video began to dominate the timeline. These videos all started the same. The camera would linger on a bulbous, smooth ball of airy dough until a hand would appear out of frame to punch the center, like a boxer jabbing at a bag. It would, of course, deflate, and the camera would again linger on the indentation. The comments section would be populated with a variation of the statement: “So satisfying.” Promotion from Nutrisystem [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZGpvbWo2NHJiOVcDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) FREE Meal Delivery! Free Meal Delivery for readers of The Bite! [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZGpvbWo2NHJiOVcDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) Promotion from Nutrisystem [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvajU2bzZ3Nmo1d1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) Get 50% OFF ALL PLANS! Readers of The Bite save 50% on all plans! [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvajU2bzZ3Nmo1d1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) After the first rise, many recipes call for the baker to deflate — or “punch down” — the dough. It’s an important step. When the dough is punched down, the yeast cells are redistributed and form a closer bond with the moisture and sugar to help fermentation and improve the second rise. But beyond that, this was a time when everyone was [“rage baking”](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMDMvMzEvcmFnZS1iYWtpbmcta2F0aHktZ3Vuc3Qta2F0aGVyaW5lLWFsZm9yZC9XA3NwY0IKYj5XAD9iK8YzcFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl) and [“stress baking”](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0SFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMDMvMjEveW91LWNhbi1iYWtlLXRoaXMtcXVpY2stbG9hZi13aXRoLWluZ3JlZGllbnRzLW9uLWhhbmQtaW4teW91ci1wYW50cnktYmVjYXVzZS1zdWJzdGl0dXRpb25zLWFyZS1lYXN5L1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) so there was something inherently satisfying about this part of the bread-baking process. This was around the time that I started working on baking focaccia for the first time and I too derived pleasure from feeling the weight of the dough sink underneath my clenched fist. It felt both controlled, but intensely dramatic. I could see [Nicolas Cage’s Ronny Cammareri](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0QraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj13VVBjN2ZyVWxEOFcDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~), the charismatic baker from “Moonstruck,” raging about something while aggressively punching an industrial-sized vat of dough (I can see it so vividly that I had to do a rewatch of the movie to see if such a scene exists; it doesn’t). But while the process was satisfying, my focaccia was always just a little… off. Where the focaccia that I loved to order from bakeries and restaurants had this airiness and lightness, mine always looked compact in comparison. I turned to my bread baking groups for suggestions. Everyone had one: Buy a different flour, use sparkling instead of still water in the dough, pray to the bread gods for mercy. Nothing really clicked until a helpful commenter posted a YouTube video of professional baker and cookbook writer [Claire Saffitz making focaccia](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0QraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj02SFp0RE5heXlmWVcDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~). “Skip ahead to 6 minutes in,” they wrote. “I think this will help you.” At this point in the video, Saffitz’s focaccia has completed its first rise. Instead of punching it down, however, she makes a point to gently fold the dough instead. “I’m going to go down around the sides and lift it up,” she said. “Then I give it a little wiggle and give the bowl a little turn.” She repeated this over and over until, underneath her fingers, all these beautiful pockets of air formed and bubbled up to the surface of the dough ball. Those bubbles remained through the second rise and the baking process, leaving the finished process similarly light to the bakery focaccia that I so coveted. The next day, I pulled out my ingredients and attempted the same — and it worked. My focaccia went from flat and dense to fully-risen and with a gorgeous open crumb. There is bread baking technique to back this up. As Elizabeth Yetter wrote in her helpful primer “[How To Punch Down Bread Dough](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0Q7aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlc3BydWNlZWF0cy5jb20vcHVuY2gtZG93bi1icmVhZC1kb3VnaC00Mjc1NjNXA3NwY0IKYj5XAD9iK8YzcFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl),” the more air pockets “you can remove from the dough, the finer the grain (or crumb) will be.” That’s great for sandwich bread or sweet rolls, but not as desirable for loaves, like focaccia, where you want airiness. I feel like there’s some metaphor here, right? We’re years into the pandemic at this point. The world has punched us down (a lot) and perhaps a more gentle touch is what we all need to thrive. Though if you find yourself wanting the palpable satisfaction of punching into a ball of dough, maybe [pie crust](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0R_aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMTkvMTIvMjEvZm9sbG93LXRoZXNlLXRpcHMtZnJvbS1tYXN0ZXItcGllLWJha2VyLWNhdGh5LWJhcnJvdy10by1nZXQtYS1wZXJmZWN0LWNydXN0LWV2ZXJ5LXNpbmdsZS10aW1lL1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) is in your future? This week in The Bite, Salon Food’s weekly food newsletter, let’s take a look back at a few of our favorite essays about and recipes for bread (and bread-like stuff) from the archives. Did you pick up bread baking during the pandemic? Are there any recipes from that period of time that you hope to carry with you once things, hopefully, normalize? Let us know at food@salon.com! — Ashlie Stevens, deputy food editor ______________________________________________________________________ If you found yourself here without subscribing, make sure to sign up for [The Bite](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) so you don't miss anything! ______________________________________________________________________ Our favorites about bread - [Baking our way through survival](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMDMvMjkvYmFraW5nLWJyZWFkLWNvbWZvcnQtc3Vydml2YWwtcHN5Y2hvbG9neS9XA3NwY0IKYj5XAD9iK8YzcFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl) - [The ultimate comfort bake: How to make perfect quick breads at home, according to a pastry chef](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0R_aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMDEvMzAvdGhlLXVsdGltYXRlLWNvbWZvcnQtYmFrZS1ob3ctdG8tbWFrZS1wZXJmZWN0LXF1aWNrLWJyZWFkcy1hdC1ob21lLWFjY29yZGluZy10by1hLXBhc3RyeS1jaGVmL1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) - [You can bake this quick loaf with ingredients on hand in your pantry, because substitutions are easy](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0SFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMDMvMjEveW91LWNhbi1iYWtlLXRoaXMtcXVpY2stbG9hZi13aXRoLWluZ3JlZGllbnRzLW9uLWhhbmQtaW4teW91ci1wYW50cnktYmVjYXVzZS1zdWJzdGl0dXRpb25zLWFyZS1lYXN5L1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) - [The best garlic bread has a secret ingredient and takes 10 minutes](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvdGhlLWJlc3QtZ2FybGljLWJyZWFkLWhhcy1hLXNlY3JldC1pbmdyZWRpZW50LWFuZC10YWtlcy0xMC1taW51dGVzL1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) - [This simple, braided apple butter bread only looks complicated](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMTIvMDYvYnJhaWRlZC1hcHBsZS1idXR0ZXItYnJlYWQtcmVjaXBlLWVhc3kvVwNzcGNCCmI-VwA_YivGM3BSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) From our columnists - ["The Julia Child Challenge" and the mystique of one of America's most iconic chefs](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjIvdGhlLWp1bGlhLWNoaWxkLWNoYWxsZW5nZWFuZC10aGUtbXlzdGlxdWUtb2Ytb25lLW9mLWFtZXJpY2FzLW1vc3QtaWNvbmljLWNoZWZzL1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) (Julie Powell) - [No baking is required to make this 5-ingredient chocolate truffle pie](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjQvbm8tYmFraW5nLWlzLXJlcXVpcmVkLXRvLW1ha2UtdGhpcy01LWluZ3JlZGllbnQtY2hvY29sYXRlLXRydWZmbGUtcGllL1cDc3BjQgpiPlcAP2IrxjNwUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACU~) (Mary Elizabeth Williams) - [The secret to the perfect grilled cheese, revealed](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0RTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvdGhlLXNlY3JldC10by10aGUtcGVyZmVjdC1ncmlsbGVkLWNoZWVzZS1yZXZlYWxlZC9XA3NwY0IKYj5XAD9iK8YzcFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAl) (Mary Elizabeth Williams) What we’re reading - [Haven’t We Told Julia Child’s Story Enough?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0Q5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZWF0ZXIuY29tLzIyOTk1MTE3L2hiby1tYXgtanVsaWEtY2hpbGQtcmV2aWV3VwNzcGNCCmI-VwA_YivGM3BSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (Eater) - [How to Turn the Humble Lentil Into an Extravagant Luxury](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkIYVXP0Q8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMy8yMy9tYWdhemluZS9sZW50aWwtc3Rldy5odG1sVwNzcGNCCmI-VwA_YivGM3BSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (New York Times) - [Girl Scout cookies paired with beer? 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