hotdamn!
that bread is attractive!
the result is different from a typical focaccia, as if the powdered sugar didn't lead your brains to realize. the crumb is soft and much more compact.
there's less holiness going on.
right out of the oven is truly the only way to eat this bread. the crust is crunch heaven, the crumb is warm and soft, the berries have melted into the crumb..a nice shower of powdered sugar and you're in business.
immediate business.
do not wait to eat.
if you need to wait til later today to eat it, don't make this. make chocolate cake
ok so straight out of the oven, this blackberry focaccia equals a really nice experience.
next day? no, stop.
it'd be nice on a brunch table. it'd be cool with tea.
i had it before dinner and forced everyone around me to eat it..it's at its most delicious peak, obviously i must force it on you.
Blackberry Focaccia
adapted from Nigel Slater's Ripe
3 1/4 cups (450g)
bread flour
7g (about 2 tsp) instant yeast
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
8 oz blackberries
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp demerara sugar (raw sugar)
confectioners' sugar for dusting
put the flour in a large bowl, add the yeast, sea salt, and then the sugar and warm water. mix with a wooden spoon. turn the dough out onto a generously floured board and knead lightly for 5 minutes or so
(this can also be done in a kitchen aid fitted with a dough hook.)
once the dough feels elastic and "alive", put it into an olive oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap, and leave it to proof somewhere warm. it will take about an hour to double in size. once it has, punch it down to knock some of the air out. tip it into an oiled shallow baking pan about 12 inches in diameter or a rimmed baking sheet. gently knead half the blackberries into the dough, scattering the remaining ones on top. cover the dough once more and return it to a warm place to rise.
preheat the oven to 425 degreesF. once the dough has expanded to almost twice its size, drizzle over olive oil, scatter with the sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes until well-risen, golden brown, and crisp on top. it should feel springy when pressed. leave to cool slightly before dusting with confectioners' sugar. cut into thick wedges and eat while it is still warm. it will not keep for more than a few hours.