Freshly baked bread is our family’s love language. We nearly always have a beautiful loaf on the menu, no matter the season. During the cold weather, patience comes easily for the long, slow rises of homemade sourdough loaves. As the days lengthen, we turn to quicker rises, brighter flavors, and lighter texture.
Both of the breads that follow taste best served warm. The cook will need to plan accordingly, especially if serving them at brunch—in our minds, a perfect place for carbs. Calculate the time to make the dough and then allow for two rises and long baking times. Good news: The breads reheat fine in a warm oven.
Fresh dill and chives taste of spring and work wonders in the simple, tender loaf that follows. Creamy ricotta and butter help make this round light and flavorful as well. The soft dough comes together easily in a mixer, making countertop kneading unnecessary. After the first rise in a bowl, the dough’s second proofing happens in a round baking dish or Dutch oven. After baking, gild the golden top with a generous smear of soft butter and sparkle of coarse salt.
Sweet focaccia may be a surprise—most focaccias tend toward savory. This soft, chewy, olive-oil laced bread welcomes all kinds of flavors. The recipe that follows uses sugar in the dough and a smear of chunky marmalade or preserves, along with some coarse sugar, on top. Focaccia dough needs no kneading; resist the temptation to add too much flour to the dough—the softer and stickier it is, the better the final texture. Serve this bread warm with honey butter and strong coffee.
Spring Green Ricotta and Dill Bread
Makes 1 round loaf, serving 6- 1 envelope (0.75 ounce) active dry yeast (not quick rise)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons soft butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh chives or 3 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced including green
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill
- Coarse (kosher) salt
Put ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and the egg into a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix well to blend. Add yeast mixture, fine salt, and baking soda. Gradually beat in 2 1/2 cups of the flour to make a soft dough. Beat in chives and dill until well distributed through dough. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed to make a dough stiff enough to come away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Generously oil a 8-inch round 2-quart ovenproof baking dish or small Dutch oven. Punch down dough. Shape into a round. Place into prepared dish. Let rise, covered in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.
Sweet Focaccia With Orange Marmalade and Raisins
Note: Apricot preserves can be substituted for the orange marmalade.- 1/2 cup golden or dark raisins
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1 teaspoon quick-rise instant yeast
- 1 cup ice water
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- Coarse sugar
Mix 3 cups of the flour, the granulated sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add ice water and mix until everything is moistened. Let rest 5 minutes.
If you have a dough hook, switch to it now. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, orange rind, and raisins with their liquid. Mix the dough, adding the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed, until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough that almost pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes.
Generously oil a large bowl. Scrape the dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, let rise in refrigerator overnight, then rest at room temperature 1 or 2 hours before proceeding.)
Line an oiled 13-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Brush paper with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Using clean, wet hands, gently transfer the dough to the prepared pan letting it fill the pan on its own (don’t force it). Use your fingers to dimple the dough to create small pockets all over the surface. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pan nicely, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put the marmalade into a bowl and microwave on high just until warmed and loosened, about 45 seconds. Dollop the orange marmalade evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Put the bread into the oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake 20 minutes, rotate the pan, and continue baking until golden on top and crisp on the bottom, about 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm.
