Growing up I didn't have air conditioning. That was right here in central Texas. So let me clarify, growing up, from the age of three to the day I moved out at 18 there was no central air conditioning in my parents' central Texas home, making me quite the anomaly out here. That achieved the exact effect you'd expect (or perhaps quite the opposite?)... I love the heat. Anything below 85 is a little uncomfortable for me. Below 70 and I'm downright unhappy. This might explain why my first year away at college in Chicago was one of the more unpleasant years of my life. And yes, I hoofed it back to Austin where I could attend college in a pool of sweat, with a beer in my hand. But let us backtrack, shall we? Let us reminisce about those days gone by, long before I trekked off to college, long before the days when a beer in my hand to stave off the sweat was a legal (and dare I say god-given) right of mine.
Things I remember the most are wide open screen doors, the noise of the attic fan at night, lots and lots of swimming, making coffee (always coffee!) ice cream on the back porch... and escape. We were always looking for an excuse to escape to air conditioning. We put on brave faces, but we hated that heat sometimes as much as you can imagine, and then some. We went to the movies. We went to the mall. We went to the mall again. We diligently hid our purchases, as mom requested, so as not to upset our dad... but who were we kidding? If he knew what those shopping trips were costing us, surely he would have sprung for the air conditioning instead in a heartbeat. I think we all loved shopping far more than we hated the heat, so hide our purchases we did.
There was one summer I was house-sitting for my boyfriend's family while they were away on a several week vacation. My mom made the trip out to his house with me almost every day, picking up lunch on the way, so we could eat in his air conditioned house. I laugh now when I realize the air was probably set at 90 and we were still happy as all get out, being that it wasn't 100.
During my senior year my parents came to us with an announcement. It was an announcement we'd waited years for. Years and year and years. We were getting air conditioning! It was too good to be true. And by that I mean, it was literally too good to be true. Yes, we were indeed getting air conditioning... the fall after I was to move off to college. Visions of me dressing for my senior prom with a cool breeze on my curled and sprayed hair vanished. Instead I knew I could expect smeared mascara, cakey sweaty make-up and flat flat hair. I spent the day of prom grumbling about my misfortune, considering failing senior year... just to experience the bliss of cool air while I got ready for prom. Some girls imagine roses and dances and kisses and boozy nights. Not me. I didn't care a thing about all that stuff. I just wanted my make-up to stay put.
Well, my parents did have one little treat for me before I left that house for good. The summer after my senior year we finally bought a window unit. The August before I packed up to move was spent, in one room, with my entire family, all of us with books in hand, with the window unit cranked down to 85, not at all speaking to each other, but very comfortable indeed. I remember the wall of heat and humidity that hit me whenever I left the room for a snack and I remember that wall driving me straight back into the room. I stayed in there long enough to read that entire Anne Rice vampire trilogy. All of it. I was 18, don't laugh.
These days not only do my parents have air conditioning, they have a pool. And because they have a pool my mom always has queso on the stove and ready to eat. I'm not sure how eating hot spicy fake cheese and wearing a wet bikini go hand in hand, but much like shopping to "avoid the heat", I think my mom makes queso because it's "pool food". We don't eat it by the pool, we just all wanted an excuse to eat it and wearing a wet bikini seems like a good enough excuse to me. And to my mom.
So, much like those shopping trips, and that queso, I'm baking my blitz focaccia today. Why? Because making my regular focaccia takes too long. I realize I should probably forgo focaccia and eat the melon that's sitting in my fridge right now, but that would make far too much sense, wouldn't it?
Now, you should all know, to bake bread here at my house means turning my air, normally set at 85, down to a chilly 73 (yes, I do wear a hoodie while making the bread - I really do get that cold) so the bread proofs properly. When it's 113 degrees outside one should never set one's air so low. I know. But that's why I made the blitz focaccia... so it was only at 73 for an hour and a half or so. See how practical I am?
I honestly love this focaccia in a pinch. I probably would never serve it to guests... but it is the most fantastic thing for when you really really really feel like making bread and you really really really have neither the time nor the energy to do so. It's basically a plain base that you doctor up to make whatever way you'd like. I just go for cherry tomatoes and my favorite garlicky herb-y oil. Rosemary and grapes are quite yummy on it, blue cheese would rule. Just know, the secret to this bread for me is in the herby oil, so no cheating. No skimping. Do as I say, load up the bread with this yummiest ever of olive oils and have at it. Even if someone tries to tell you it's too hot for baking. They're not your mom. They can't tell you what to do. Unless it is your mom. Then you'd better listen.
Blitz Focaccia
Adapted from Local Breads by Daniel Leader
300 g (1 1/4 cups) water, room temperature
6 grams (1 tsp) instant yeast
500 g (3 1/4 cups) all purpose flour
60 g (1/3 cup) olive oil
10 g (1 1/4 tsp) salt
sweet cherry tomatoes for garnish
chunky sea salt for garnish
For the herb oil
120 g (1 cup) olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed to a paste
approx. 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil
1-2 tsp spicy paprika
1/2 - 1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
First make the herb oil. Heat the oil to about 100 degrees. You want it warm - that's all! Once warmed take it off the burner and add the chopped herbs, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit at room temp to infuse.
For the focaccia, mix flour, yeast, salt, olive oil and water together. Once combined knead with a dough hook on your mixer for about 11 mins. Your dough will never become that strong. Don't worry... it's blitz focaccia! It can't fail! Once the dough is kneaded, fold it into a tight ball into a greased container with a lid. Let sit at room temp for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the dough has approximately doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Divide the dough into six equal pieces and form each piece into a light boule and let rest on the counter for about 5-10 mins. Pat each dough into a round about 4 inches in diameter and lay them all out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush each focaccia generously with herb oil. Be sure to let chunks of herbs and garlic coat the focaccia. It may look like a lot, but it will all absorb during baking. Place cherry tomatoes on top of the focaccia and lightly press them in. Cover your baking sheet tightly in plastic and let proof at room temperature for about 30 mins. The rounds should poof slightly, up around the tomatoes.
Right before places them in the oven brush with more oil if it's all been absorbed. Sprinkle lightly with the chunky sea salt. Bake till golden, about 30 to 40 mins. Then... dig in!
Be sure to check out this post and other bread-related finds at Yeastspotting!
Posts
