BAKE UP A DELICIOUS MASH-UP
Soda bread focaccia merges the best of two breads in just 30 minutes
In a world overrun with baking mash-ups — Cronuts, brookies and many others, soda bread focaccia might just be my new favourite. If you don't have the time and energy it takes for a yeasted bread, it might just become yours, too.
Unlike traditional focaccia, this mash-up is leavened not with yeast but with baking soda. It takes about 10 minutes to assemble, less than 15 minutes to bake, and when dimpled and brushed with olive oil, will give you all the focaccia vibes in a fraction of the time.
Soda bread dough is lean and benefits from bathing in oil, which turns this soft-crumbed and crispy-topped bread into an utterly mouth-watering treat.
Below, I explain how — and why — soda bread focaccia's wonderfully short ingredient list differs from, and is similar, to yeasted focaccia, as well as share a few techniques for making it. Flour: Traditional soda bread calls for all-purpose flour and although you can make soda bread focaccia with just that, we add a little bread flour. Not only is high-protein bread flour often an ingredient in traditional focaccia, but it adds structure, chew and height, delivering a more focaccia-like texture and look. Sugar: It seasons the dough and helps it brown, but doesn't make the bread sweet. Sugar is an important ingredient when savoury baking, as it adds moisture, contributes
to browning and helps season the dough.
Leavening: Traditionally, soda bread is leavened with just baking soda, but adding a little baking powder helps lift and give a lightness to the crumb that's harder to achieve without the round shape of a boule. Buttermilk: Soda bread calls for buttermilk, which imparts tenderness and tang and contributes to leavening the bread by activating
the baking soda (substitute whole milk plus 1 3/4 tsp (8.6 mL) distilled white vinegar). Seasoned oil: Traditional soda bread has no fat save for the small amount in the buttermilk. The oil you choose to dimple, brush and drizzle over the dough should be flavourful and used generously. Dried thyme, garlic and onion powders work, but use fresh herbs and minced fresh garlic if you prefer.
Variations: In addition to playing with the flavours of your seasoned oil, and sprinkling the bread with flaky sea salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes before baking, consider sprinkling the bread with chopped olives, minced anchovies or caramelized onions.
Post-bake, a dusting of Parmesan cheese will enhance umami notes.