I'm working on a foccacia, and the recipe calls for either fresh or dried rosemary on the top. I know I probably should be using the fresh stuff, but would like to go with the dried version for economy and ease of use if possible. However, the idea of putting dried rosemary on, either before or after baking, doesn't sound very appealing or appetizing. I also remember reading somewhere that dried herbs are usually twice as potent as the fresh ones, so my guess is that the dried version should be used conservatively. Any further thoughts or suggestions would be welcome! Seth
Use half the volume of dried herbs as fresh.
With a long simmering braise or a roast, dried rosemary works well. On foccacia, I don't know.
David
When I make an herb-flavoured focaccia, I have two options: either mix the dried or fresh herbs (such as sage or rosemary) into the flour before making the dough, or combine them into the dough after the first rise. I think that introducing the herbs early in the recipe, rather than kneading them in after the first rise, distributes the flavour more evenly throughout the focaccia.
I go by ¼ cup of fresh-packed sage herbs equals about 2 tablespoons of whole dried leaves. Note: Rosemary is strongly flavoured, so back it off somewhat.
Cheers,
Gavin
About half as much - I think it was given. And - it really belongs on the top - like a flavoring. Enjoy!
I would agree with about half as much dry vs fresh.
In the winter months I usually use dry rosemary leaves that I grind , home grown otherwise. I've been kind of disappointed with the "fresh" that I can get in the grocery store.
I fine grind the dry leaves and then soak them in the water used for the dough for about 15 minutes before mixing the dough. It imparts a very nice flavor to the bread, but still not as good as fresh.
I don't care for dried leaves baked on top of the dough. They can get a little crunchy even if mixed with oil.
Dave
Thanks for all the helpful replies! I've seen recipes that use rosemary in the dough, on top of the dough, or even both ways. It does seem that putting the herb into the dough would provide more flavor, while putting it on top would certainly give it some nice "eye candy."
I had also thought about soaking the rosemary in olive oil before putting it on top. But I see that trick has already been tried, and without much success. But in yet another attempt at some eye candy, what about putting some oil-soaked dried rosemary on the focaccia AFTER it comes out of the oven? Has anyone given that a shot? Seth
Give it a shot. See if it suits you. Enjoy!
Here's my first try at a focaccia with rosemary:
I put about 1/2 a teaspoon of ground rosemary directly into the dough, which was 2/3 Hecker's unbleached white and 1/3 KA whole wheat. Adding the rosemary to the dough worked out very well; it produced a good flavor and a great aroma. I also put some whole soaked rosemary on top of the bread, but wasn't impressed with the result --- it didn't add anything flavorwise and most of it fell off anyway. Thanks again for all the great rosemary advice, it was very helpful. Seth
Gorgeous shape and color. Glad the rosemary worked out when used in the dough. How did you serve it ? With sauces or?
To answer your question about serving, it turned out that I made a ham & cheese omelet for dinner that evening, so we just had the focaccia slices with some strawberry preserves on it. Not very Italian, I guess, but it complemented the omelet well! Seth
Looks great! The rosemary on top does add eye appeal.
I always add some whole grain flour to mine too. Not so much that it will detract from the herb flavor or alter the rise, but just enough to make it interesting. I added some toasted barley flour to my last one, it was great.
Dave
Yes, the whole rosemary did add some eye appeal, but at least in my opinion, it wasn't worth it. I thought the dimpled bread was unusual enough to satisfy the "eye candy" department. Seth
BTW, when I went shopping for dried rosemary I discovered that, unlike other dried herbs that are offered either whole or ground, I couldn't find any ground rosemary. So when I got home, I dug my mortar and pestle out of the back of a kitchen cabinet and ground up the whole rosemary myself.
While the focaccia was baking, I checked the notes on rosemary in the "Herb" section of the Concordance chapter in James Beard's "Theory & Practice of Good Cooking." I was heartened to read that he thought dried rosemary was equal to or better than the fresh kind. He also noted that rosemary does need to be crushed before use, and he suggested using either a mortar/pestle or simply crushing it in the palm of your hand with your thumb. I guess whether you would crush or grind it would depend on how fine you needed the rosemary to be. Since focaccia is a rather rustic bread, I might go for the larger crushed pieces next time, for a better visual. Seth
OK, here's Foccacia try #2 (see pics below). This time I added some chopped and partially reconstituted dried figs (using the "spray and microwave" tip I got here. I also shaped the loaf differently. Instead of kneading the figs in, I pressed the dough into a rectangle, added the chopped figs, rolled it up and then flattened it somewhat. That way, I didn't have any figs outside or on top of the dough, where they burned the last time. I also baked the loaf on parchment paper on a cookie sheet instead of using a Pyrex dish -- much easier, lighter to use and this time the sides were also golden brown (better exposed to the heat). And I went with a 400-degree oven instead of the 375 I had been using before, and the bread was done in 30 minutes instead of 45.
Everyone liked the result, and next time I'm going to try adding some crushed rosemary and/or thyme. So thanks to all for your comments and helpful tips, I'm slowly moving up the breadmaking ladder! Seth
I've located a good source for fresh rosemary and would like to try it out on my focaccia. But I'm unsure how to use it -- I've never worked with fresh herbs before. Do I need to do anything to the leaves, other than stripping them from the stems? Do they need to be soaked, cooked, chopped, infused, etc.?
I'd like to sprinkle it on top of the focaccia, both for looks and taste. But I'm concerned that if I add it before baking, it would just dry out and wither or burn in the oven. And if I added it after baking, I'm unsure whether that would work either. I've seen great photos of focaccia with rosemary strewn on it, which looks very enticing, but I want to make sure it's edible as well as attractive!
I have tried adding some crushed dried rosemary to the dough, which does add an interesting flavor and aroma. But I think the fresh herb would be better --- if I could figure out how to use it. Thanks in advance for any tips!! Seth