Bread is life! I make bread at least twice a week and I’ve reviewed bread books before. Recently, I’ve been making sourdough, but Bree Bridges (one half of Kit Rocha and an official Hero of Democracy) started making Lacey Ostermann’s Same Day Focaccia and was having so much fun that I had fomo. And, like, fomo I can do something about. I already have 10 pounds of King Arthur Bread Flour on hand and the ability to open Instagram. After watching a whole lot of her focaccia videos, I decided to buy the ebook too. This recipe is so easy. So ridiculously easy and rewarding.
I haven’t ventured into the sandwich bread or pizza realms, but the focaccia section is worth the price of purchase. I don’t have pictures of most of the loaves I’ve made, but this past weekend I made a rosemary & smoked salt focaccia for sandwiches for a pot luck. Every time I bring focaccia or focaccia sandwiches, the oohs and ahhs are loud. Ostermann includes some creative and delicious variations (hot chocolate focaccia, loaded baked potato focaccia) as well as things to do with a loaf beyond shoving it in your face (focaccia french toast). I am also in love with the lemony artichoke tapenade recipe. I have put it on top of focaccia dough before baking. I have slathered it on a slice, and I have used it as the binder for chicken salad. Uniformly delicious.
Does this recipe produce the best focaccia ever? No. The best focaccia requires a day or more for the flavor to develop. What Ostermann’s base recipe does is hit the sweet spot of low effort, short time, and good bread. Great bread? No. Good bread? Yes. Good bread that is easy to make and hard to screw up is it’s own wonderful thing.
In my dreams, Lacey Ostermann and Bree Bridges will have a focaccia & books team-up for democracy, but until then, you can support them both by buying their books or requesting them at your local library. Bread, books, and the right to vote are my jam.