CACAO CHAMOMILE SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA
The perfect dough to elevate your breakfast or dessert. Semi sweet with a hint of cacao and carob ideal to be topped up with sweet or savory nutty and creamy toppings.
It was inspired by the fresh camomile beauty of the late spring season of May <3
CACAO CHAMOMILE SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA
INGREDIENTS (makes a rectangular thick focaccia of 20 x 28 cm
FOR THE DOUGH
340 g manitoba flour or strong flour for brioche
40 g cacao powder
25 g carob powder
240 g activated sourdough starter
240 g freshly prepared chamomile infusion, lukewarm
20 g carob syrup or molases or maple syrup
poolie (see recipe)
1 pinch of sea salt flakes
6 tablespoons (TBSP) olive oil
FOR THE POOLIE
65 g manitoba flour or strong flour for brioche
65 g lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon dry baker's yeast
FOR DECORATION: Fresh chamomile flowers or other edible flowers available in the season.
EQUIPMENT
+ a large bowl to mix the ingredients and knead the dough (preferably ceramic or heavy glass)
+ a scale, a sieve and a wooden spatula
+ 2 glass or ceramic containers for liquids of 1 litter volume capacity
+ a rectangular food safe container with lid preferably made of glass
+ a rectangular baking tray (the dimensions of the one I used are 20 x 28 cm)
+ a tea towel large enough to cover the baking tray
+ your beautiful creative hands
PREPARATION
Prepare the poolie by mixing the flour, yeast and lukewarm water together - using a wooden spatula. Mix well to a smooth dough and let it rest at room temperature (20-25°C) for at least 30 minutes to ferment and rise a little.
In the meantime, prepare the chamomile infusion preferably from fresh blooms if the season allows. Strain it and let it slightly cool until lukewarm. Sieve in your large bowl the flour, cacao and carob powder together.
After 30 minutes have passed, combine in the container for liquids the activated sourdough starter, the activated poolie, the lukewarm chamomile infusion and the syrup of your choice.
Mix well until an homogenous solution - using the wooden spatula.
Add the liquid solution to the dry ingredients and mix well using your hands until the flour and powders are well hydrated. The dough will be very sticky and a shapeless mass and this is ok!
Let it rest for 30 minutes covered with a tea towel.
After that time add the salt and knead well with intention using your hands.
Take a few deep breaths there and feel how would you like this dough to nourish you?
what would you like to receive from her? love, rest, connection, peace?
Fold the dough every 30 minutes for 3 hours resulting in 6 folds in total while holding your intention for this practice with the dough close to heart.
During the last two foldings drizzle the dough with one tablespoon of olive oil each time and fold the dough until all the oil is completely incorporated in the dough.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the food safe box and transfer the dough. Cover with the lid loosely so that the dough is protected from humidity loss in the refrigerator but at the same time can breathe.
Transfer the container with the dough in the refrigerator to ferment and mature overnight (at least 12 hours).
The next day or after this 12 hours time, remove the dough from the refrigerator and smear your baking tray with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Let the dough rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and then let it rise at a warm and humid spot. You can simulate these conditions by warming up your oven at 90°C and then switching it off. Place the dough in the oven together with a tray or cup filled with hot boiling water. Let the dough rise in the oven for at least 20 minutes with the oven door closed.
After this time and when the dough has almost doubled in size, decorate it with the flowers and poke it gently using with your fingers that you have previously smeared with some olive oil to prevent the dough from sticking on your skin.
Bake at preheated oven at 190°C for 30 minutes. Let it slightly cool on the kitchen counter before slicing it.
TIP: Enjoy this beautiful focaccia as breakfast bread with some extra carob syrup and honey and sesame or almond paste. You can add any fresh herb of your preference like fresh thyme or rosemary.
It is also perfect to be enjoyed as desert with chocolate paste and vanilla ice cream and some extra sea salt on top!
