No Knead Italian Focaccia Bread

My father-in-law stayed with us for a few nights last week and I always try to make something special when he stays here. I made stuffed shells (which I know he loves) and salad and wanted to make an easy bread recipe. I saw this Focaccia recipe on Instagram and it looked easy enough so I gave it a try. It was so delicious!

I did not refrigerate the dough - I did the "short rise option" on the website and adapted the recipe below to reflect what I did so I'll remember next time. I mixed the dough, let it rise for 2 hours, put it in an oiled 9x13 glass baking dish (next time I will oil and flour it because it was a little hard to get out), let it rise another 30 minutes (uncovered), poked the dough, topped with some sea salt flakes and baked for 22 minutes.

The recipe uses a lot of olive oil and you could probably cut back a little bit on that, but it is also probably what makes it so good. I did not put oil on top when I added the salt and I did not put oil on top when it came out of the oven.

I used 00 Flour for this recipe as I always do when I make bread or pizza.

Overall, this is a very good and easy recipe. Everyone at my house loved it! It also makes a lot, so I was able to have a few pieces leftover for the next night's dinner and freeze an entire half of it!

No Knead Italian Focaccia Bread

Recipe adapted from Cucina by Elena

 

EASY AND DELICIOUS ITALIAN FOCACCIA RECIPE! This recipe is shockingly easy. It is a NO KNEAD focaccia recipe that will get you the perfect crisp and bubbly top with a soft and tender interior. You will treasure this fragrant olive oil BREAD! It is a NO FAIL RECIPE YOU will make again and again. 

1¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons)

2½ cups (590 ml) lukewarm water (98 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 36.5 to 40.5 Celsius)

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour or 00 flour

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

6 Tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands

Flake sea salt, such a Maldons

 

Place 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium/large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Stir slightly but do not mix. Let sit 5-10 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again – check the expiration date!).

 

Add flour and kosher salt and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain. It will seem a little wet. That is normal. 

 

Pour 4 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Turn over a few times, but do NOT mix in the oil with the dough. 

 

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough is doubled in size, about 2 hours (it should look very bubbly and alive).

 

Grease and flour your desired baking pan or baking sheet depending on preference (classic 9x13 glass baking dish or 9x13 cookie sheet). Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the baking pan and coat the bottom. Move dough to the prepared pan.

 

Pour any oil left in the bowl over the dough and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of the fridge or a preheating oven) until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

 

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you won’t need to do this if using a baking pan).

 

Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers. Keep poking away until there are lots of poke marks in the dough. 

 

Drizzle the top of poked dough with remaining 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional) and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

 

Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.

 

Optional: brush lightly with olive oil right after taking it out of the oven.

 

Enjoy warm or cold!

 

Notes:

Makes great sandwich bread. Simply cut a slice in half lengthwise and use for a sandwich! 

 

Storing: The focaccia will keep at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for 2 days. Reheat in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes. To freeze focaccia, cut it in pieces, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, place in resealable plastic freezer bag, and freeze for up to 1 month.

Chocolate Ice Cream

The second recipe I made in my new ice cream maker is this Chocolate Ice Cream recipe. I don't usually care for chocolate ice cream but one of my sons has been asking me to make it. I made a chocolate recipe a few years ago and didn't like it (neither did my husband, so it wasn't just me!), so this morning I searched for a new one to try. I came across this recipe, which looked good. After reading through the comments, I discovered the mixture overflowed in most commenter's 1.5-qt. ice cream makers, which is the size I have. I also read that it helps make the ice cream less gritty if you sift the cocoa and sugars first. I used these two suggestions and adapted the amounts as best I could to come up with the recipe below, which we all loved! Everyone had a second helping, even me. I put some cut up fresh strawberries on top of mine which made it even better.

I used some half & half in place of some of the heavy whipping cream, but if you don't have it or don't want to use it, use 1 cup of whole milk and 2 cups of heavy whipping cream - or any combination of milk and cream to equal 3 cups.

I'm happy I found a chocolate recipe that tastes good and we can now use this as a base for other recipes (chocolate chocolate chip, chocolate peanut butter, rocky road, etc.) or just have it as plain chocolate!

Chocolate Ice Cream

Adapted from Chew Out Loud Website

 

2/3 cup cocoa powder, good quality, unsweetened

¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

½ cup white sugar

1 cup whole milk, very cold

1 cup half and half, very cold

1 cup heavy cream, very cold

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Sift the cocoa powder, brown sugar and white sugar together to enable a finer mix into the cold ingredients - it makes the ice cream taste less gritty.

 

In a chilled bowl, combine the sifted cocoa and both sugars, whisking to combine well. Add cold milk and whisk until the sugars are dissolved. Stir in cold heavy cream and vanilla. The colder everything is, the better.

 

Optional: Refrigerate mixture for at least 4-6 hours or overnight for better results (using a quart-sized mason jar works well to store this amount of mixture).

 

Pour mixture into the freezer bowl of ice cream maker. Let it run for 20-25 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, soft, and creamy. Churned ice cream should increase in volume, reaching the top of the machine's freezer bowl.

 

If adding something extra, mix for 15-20 minutes and then add 1/4 cup (or up to 1 cup):

·      Mini chocolate chips

·      Oreos

·      Snickers

·      Reese's cups

and mix for 5 more minutes.

 

Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours or until ice cream is desired consistency.

 

Prior to serving, let ice cream sit at room temp for a few minutes just to soften enough for easy scooping.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I just bought a new ice cream maker and the first recipe I made in it was this one. I prefer simple flavors and eggless recipes, also known as Philadelphia style (as opposed to custard or French style which contain eggs).

I've always used vanilla extract in my ice cream before but decided to try Vanilla Bean Paste and I loved the results.

I also used some half & half in place of some of the heavy whipping cream, mostly just to see if it made any difference since whipping cream has been so expensive. I thought it tasted great so I will likely use it in more recipes, but if you don't have it or don't want to use it, use 1 cup of whole milk and 2 cups of heavy whipping cream - or any combination of milk and cream to equal 3 cups.

This is the perfect base recipe to add various mix-ins to (chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, peanut butter cups, cookie dough, etc.) or just have it as plain vanilla! 

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

 

1 cup whole milk, very cold

1/8 teaspoon salt

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup half and half, very cold

1 cup heavy cream, very cold

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

 

In a cold bowl, whisk together milk, salt and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Stir in half and half, heavy cream and vanilla bean paste.

 

Optional: Refrigerate mixture for at least 4-6 hours or overnight for better results (using a quart-sized mason jar works well to store this amount of mixture).

 

Pour cold mixture into ice cream maker's freezer bowl. Let it run for about 20-25 minutes or until ice cream is thick and done.

 

If adding something extra, mix for 15-20 minutes and then add 1/4 cup (or up to 1 cup):

·      Mini chocolate chips

·      Oreos

·      Snickers

·      Reese's cups

and mix for 5 more minutes.

Transfer ice cream to a container and place in the freezer for about 2 hours to completely firm up.

Ooni Classic Pizza Dough

I gave my husband an Ooni pizza oven for Christmas a few years ago and this is the pizza dough recipe we use. This makes four 12" pizzas or three 16" pizzas (we make the 12" ones). I've made anywhere from one to four recipes of dough at a time and it has always come out delicious!

Ooni changed the recipe on their website since the first time I made this (they adjusted the amounts of the ingredients). I usually make the original recipe, but either one works fine and both versions are below.

I use Anna Tipo 00 Flour whenever I make pizza, bread or pasta, so I can't say how the dough comes out using any other flour, but it has always come out perfect for me. Since the pizza is baked at a very high temperature compared to pizza baked in a regular oven, I recommend using Anna or another brand of 00 flour rather than All Purpose Flour or Bread Flour. Antimo Caputo Pizzeria Flour is another highly recommended one that my cousin uses. It's more expensive but I've heard it's even better for pizza oven pizza, so I plan to try it out.

I recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients (at least the water and flour) by weight for this recipe.

We have the Ooni Karu 12" Multi Fuel Oven along with the Gas Burner attachment and the following accessories. The Ooni accessories are more expensive than others and they do go on sale, but you can use any brand of accessories.

Carry Cover

Pizza Turning Peel

Perforated Pizza Peel

Digital Infrared Thermometer

Some additional items I've found helpful:

Food Scale

Pizza Dough Proofing Box

Grill Gloves

Pizza Wheel

You'll also need a large cutting board. I use my 12" pizza pans that my mom gave me to keep the pizzas on once they are finished baking.

If you have a pizza oven and you're looking for a good dough recipe, give this one a try!

Ooni Classic Pizza Dough

Recipe Courtesy Ooni

 

Flour, salt, water and yeast: what do these simple ingredients have in common? They come together to create the perfect foundation for any good Italian pizza. Say hello to our classic pizza dough recipe, which is sure to become a beloved staple for your household. The beauty of making your own dough is the delicious texture and flavor, coveted puffy crust, a soft, easy-to-fold slice and, of course, the fragrant, freshly-baked-bread aroma. Think of it as your pizza canvas, the base for any topping your culinary heart desires, from burrata and steak to crème fraîche and basil.

 

1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon (368 grams) lukewarm water

1 heaping teaspoon (3 ½ grams) active dry yeast, or 1 teaspoon (2.7 grams) instant dried yeast, or 1 tablespoon (8 ½ grams) fresh yeast

5¼ cups (613 grams) “00” flour, plus extra for dusting

3 teaspoons (18 grams) sea salt

 

Tip: We recommend using your Ooni Dual Platform Digital Scales for maximum accuracy.

 

Add the water and yeast to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk until thoroughly blended. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl, then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

 

If using a mixer: Fit the mixer with the dough hook and pour the flour and yeast mixture into the mixer bowl. Turn the machine on at a low speed for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it’s firm and stretchy. Cover the dough with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

 

If mixing by hand: Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Continue mixing by hand until the pizza dough comes together in a ball. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead with both hands for about 10 minutes, until it’s firm and stretchy. Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

 

Tip: Make more dough than you need, or just want to have some on hand in a pinch? No problem. The best time to freeze your homemade pizza dough is after the first rise (after it's doubled in size). Once your dough has doubled in size, divide it into equal dough balls. Make sure you've put a light layer of olive oil into your containers to prevent the dough from sticking. Place the dough balls into separate containers with lids, and place in the freezer. You can freeze your dough balls for up to 3 months.

 

When the dough is ready, divide it into 3 or 4 equal pieces, depending on the size of pizza you’re making – either 12 inches (30 centimeters) or 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide. Place each piece of dough in a separate bowl or tray, cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for another 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

 

Tip: Always start with a perfectly rounded ball of dough. This helps to keep the shape of the base circular during the stretching process.

 

Before stretching and topping your dough, fire up your oven and allow it to preheat for 15 to 20 minutes. Aim for 850 °F and 950 °F (450 °C and 500 °C) on your baking stone. You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer. 

 

When the dough is ready, place the ball on a lightly floured surface, flour your hands and use your fingertips to press the dough into a small, flat disc. Working from the center, push the dough outwards while spreading your fingers, making the disc slightly bigger. Pick up the dough and gently pinch it all around the edge, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a circle. Neapolitan-style pizza bases are very thin, so you should be able to see through the base when you hold it up to the light. Take care when doing this, as you don’t want it to tear.

 

Once the dough is fully stretched, lightly flour your pizza peel and lay the base on it. If at this point you see any small holes in the dough, gently pinch them back together. Once you’re happy with the base, add your toppings.

 

When your oven is hot enough, launch your pizza and cook it for 1 to 2 minutes, turning every 20 seconds to ensure an even bake.

 

Remove from the oven, slice, serve and enjoy that pizza greatness!

 

Yield: Three 330-gram dough balls (for 16-inch or 40-centimeter pizzas) or four 250-gram dough balls (for 12-inch or 30-centimeter pizzas).

 

Note: Exciting news! We've enhanced our signature Classic Pizza Dough recipe for an even tastier experience. Our culinary team carefully refined the ingredients and methodology, and while we've made improvements, we've stayed true to the essence of the original. If, however, you loved the old recipe from December 2020 and still want to use it, here are the ingredient amounts (you can follow the same process) for four 250-gram dough balls for four 12-inch (30-centimeter) pizzas, or three 330-gram balls for three 16-inch (40-centimeter) pizzas with a dough hydration of 60%:

 

1½ cups or 12.8 ounces (364 grams) lukewarm water

3¼ teaspoons (9.2 grams) active dried yeast or 2 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) instant dried yeast or 2 tablespoons (20 grams) fresh yeast 

4¼ cups or 21.4 ounces (607 grams) “00” flour, plus extra for dusting

4 teaspoons (18 grams) sea salt

 

If you prefer fresh yeast, use 2 tablespoons (20 grams) and either mix the yeast into the water and let sit for 3 minutes (rehydration method) or crumble it over the flour and then add the water (dry blend). We always suggest checking the activation instructions on your yeast packets and testing accordingly.

First time making this recipe - initial dough rise

Separate into 4

Second rise in individual containers

Ready to use!

Before

After

I make the dough, he bakes the pizza

Kid approved!

4 recipes for 4th of July pizza party (2023)

Having these dough proofing boxes is really helpful!

Ready to use!

Checking the temp of the stone

Only 1 recipe for my small family

My happy boys!

Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake

This vanilla cake recipe is the same as the vanilla cupcakes that I just posted. I've never found a vanilla cake recipe that I liked enough to make it again. I'm hoping this cake comes out as good as the cupcakes because they were not dry at all and were so good! I'm not making this full recipe today though - I'm just making the vanilla cake, but I wanted to post the full recipe because it sounds delicious! I love berries and mascarpone so this is definitely my kind of cake!

This vanilla cake recipe is for 3 8" round cake layers. You could also make it into 2 9" round layers or a 9x13" cake instead, which is what I made today. You just have to adjust the baking time.

The whipped mascarpone frosting sounds delicious, but unfortunately I don't have any mascarpone and it's snowing pretty heavily so I can't get to a store today. I'll be pairing my vanilla cake with this whipped frosting that I've made before and already have the ingredients for. It has cream cheese instead of mascarpone, but the general idea is the same. It's a light frosting that is so good paired with fresh fruit. Even though I'm making this in the winter, this recipe sounds perfect for spring or summer!

This is one of the easiest cakes to make. It doesn't have butter in it so you can make it last minute without waiting for butter to soften. The batter comes together so easily. I used my hand mixer for it, but you could even just use a whisk and spatula.

The bake time for my 9x13" cake was about 40-42 minutes. My cake had a big crack in it - I'm not sure why, but it will be covered with frosting anyway so it doesn't matter.

Update - I brought this to a big family celebration and everyone seemed to enjoy it, so I think I've finally found a vanilla cake recipe that I will keep making!

Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake

Recipe from “Life, Love and Sugar” Website

 

This Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake has layers of fluffy vanilla cake, fresh berry filling and mascarpone whipped cream frosting! It’s light, fruity and perfect for spring!

 

VANILLA CAKE:

2½ cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup water

 

BERRY FILLING:

1½ cups mixed berries (I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)

3 Tablespoons water

¾ cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

 

WHIPPED MASCARPONE FROSTING:

2½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold

1½ cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

16 ounces mascarpone cheese, chilled

 

 

CAKE LAYERS

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom. These cakes can have a tendency to stick to the pans a bit, so I strongly recommend the parchment paper in the bottom.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.

Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.

Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 24-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Remove the cakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. These cakes can have a tendency to stick to the pans a bit so jiggle them a bit to loosen from the sides of the pan before turning the cakes out to cool.

 

BERRY FILLING

To make the berry filling, add the berries and water to a food processor and puree until smooth. You should end up with about 2/3 cup puree.

Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir in the berry puree.

Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 8-10 minutes.

Allow to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Refrigerate and allow to cool completely.

 

FROSTING

Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.

Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly.

 

ASSEMBLY

To assemble the cake, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes.

Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake. I use Ateco tip 808 for the dam so that it’s tall.

Spread half of the berry filling evenly on top of the cake layer, inside the dam. It should fill the dam about half way full.

Add some additional mascarpone frosting to the top of the berry filling and spread into an even layer to fill in the remaining dam space.

Add the second layer of cake and repeat the filling layer with the remaining berry filling and additional mascarpone frosting.

Add the final layer of cake on top, then smooth out the frosting around the sides of the cake.

Frost the outside of the cake, then use an icing decorator (I use an Ateco Icing Smoother) to add a striped pattern to the sides.

Finish off the cake with some swirls of frosting and fresh berries.

Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Cake is best for 2-3 days.

 

Yield: 12-14 Slices

Combine wet & dry ingredients separately

Mix together

Add water, mix again

Pour in greased & floured pan

Bake

Frost & enjoy!