{"id":7994,"date":"2023-01-11T12:36:30","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T20:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?post_type=recipe&p=7994"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:58:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:58:36","slug":"focaccia-barese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/11\/focaccia-barese\/","title":{"rendered":"Focaccia Barese (Focaccia from Bari)"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 11, 2023<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Never Explain.\u00a0 Never Apologize.<\/p>\n

Somebody famous once said that.<\/p>\n

Well, according to Wikipedia, lots of famous people said that but the first, perhaps, is John Arbuthnot Fisher, a British Admiral of the Victorian and Edwardian eras.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m about to do both!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been nearly a year since my last blog post.\u00a0 And many months had elapsed between my next-to-last blog post and that one.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry!<\/p>\n

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Semola Remacinata, the finest grind of durum wheat flour in Italy.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It amazes, and gratifies me, however, that during that long dry spell I continued to get messages from new readers of the blog and new subscribers to my emails.<\/p>\n

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Join our mailing list<\/a> and you\u2019ll<\/strong> never miss a recipe again!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Now let me explain.<\/p>\n

Since August 2021 I have been working on a book about how to make artisan Italian gelato.\u00a0 All the time that I would have devoted to testing recipes and writing blog posts, and more, went to testing recipes for and, ultimately, writing the book.<\/p>\n

I sent the manuscript to the publisher on November 1st.\u00a0 I\u2019ve since revised the manuscript based on multiple rounds of feedback from the developmental editor.\u00a0 The text is now undergoing line editing.\u00a0 The photoshoot was completed a few weeks ago and photos were tentatively selected for the book.<\/p>\n

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A shot of the photoshoot for my upcoming book on artisan Italian gelato.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m anxiously awaiting options for page layout and cover design.\u00a0 And not-so-anxiously awaiting feedback from the line editor.<\/p>\n

Finding myself with more flexibility, I am planning on doing more baking than gelato-making for the next few months.\u00a0 Winter in Palm Springs is the time to use the oven!<\/p>\n

In fact, I had planned to make a coconut almond cake today, my second in less than two weeks.\u00a0\u00a0 My goal is to keep at it until I reproduce a taste memory of a coconut almond cake that I ate, one and only one time, in 1967 (or summer arrives in Palm Springs, whichever comes first).\u00a0 It\u2019s probably a fool\u2019s errand but it is giving focus to my baking efforts.<\/p>\n

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My first coconut almond cake of the winter baking season.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Follow us on social media<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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A water leak last evening, while I was making dinner, means that the water to the house is shut off until the plumber gets here later today.\u00a0 No water means no baking.\u00a0 No baking means that I can repurpose my time to do my first blog post in nearly a year.<\/p>\n

I promise to do my best to be more regular in posting.<\/p>\n

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Gelato alla Zuppa Inglese, one of over 75 gelato recipes in my upcoming book. This is an egg-based gelato studded with cake soaked in Italian Alkermes liquore and dark chocolate chips.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, let\u2019s pivot to a recipe:\u00a0 Focaccia Barese (Focaccia from Bari).<\/p>\n

I like to serve homemade bread with dinner as much as possible.\u00a0 This is a recipe that I turn to over and over to put a really tasty bread on the table with minimal active time and often little advance planning.

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Focaccia Barese (Focaccia from Bari)<\/h2>\n
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Focaccia is a yeast-risen bread that is made from a dough that has such a high proportion of water that it is almost a batter. Crushed tomatoes as well as capers and\/or olives are strewn on top. A good sprinkling of dried oregano and a few glugs of good olive oil round out the flavor. In Italy, flour made from durum wheat comes in three grinds: fine, medium, and coarse, called semola (or semola remacinata, meaning \u201ctwice ground\u201d), semolina, and semolino respectively. I usually use semola imported from Italy for this bread. If buying domestic semolina (in English, we use the same word, regardless of the grind) look for one that is finely ground.<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>25 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>35 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>4 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Servings: <\/span>1<\/span> loaf<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ingredients
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