Time to go with the grain
A Pinch of Salt
By Donna Marie Riani
Salt is a kitchen staple. Whether you are cooking or baking, making something savory or sweet, salt is your food's best friend.
Oregon has a long history with salt. Our beautiful Pacific Ocean is rich with it. Lewis and Clark realized that the Oregon Coast produced delicious salt. As a matter of fact, Clark said the salt they made from our waters was “excellent, white and fine.” I would say that’s a rave review! Salt was vitally important back in the day, as it was how food was preserved. Meat, fish and some vegetables were rubbed or packed in it to keep the food from spoiling.
Preserving food with salt is still going strong today. Pickles are preserved in salt water. Salted fish is still wildly popular in many countries. The ever-popular jerky is preserved with salt and let’s not forget that culinary darling, preserved lemons.
One thing that Lewis and Clark did note was that the salt they made from our waters was not as strong in flavor as rock salt. They were correct in that observation. Sea salt and table salt are quite different. Sea salt is made from evaporating sea water. It is also minimally processed so that briny mineral flavor stays intact. Table salt is mined from salt deposits. It is processed more than sea salt to remove impurities and create a finer texture. This processing removes some of the minerals and gives it a sharper flavor.
Back in my bakery days, I learned just how important salt is. When it comes to bread baking, salt is critical. It not only adds flavor but it helps to control the yeast. If salt isn’t present, the yeast will go wild. At one of the bakeries I worked in, we forgot to put salt in the bread dough and it went unnoticed until the bread went into the oven. That bread was twice the size it should have been. To look at the loaves, they were impressive and gigantic, but the flavor was another story. The bread was bland and lackluster. We couldn’t sell it to anyone, so it ended up being bird food. My apologies to those birds.
This recipe for focaccia is perfect for beginners. Focaccia is an Italian no-knead bread enriched with olive oil, with salt in the dough and sprinkled on top. It’s easy to make and the process of folding and dimpling the dough is so satisfying.
Focaccia
1 3/4 cups warm water, 105° to 115°F
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
500 grams (or 4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for your hands
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top
Chopped fresh rosemary or oregano, optional, for sprinkling
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or by hand with a sturdy spoon, stir together the water, sugar and yeast. Set aside until the mixture looks foamy, about five minutes.
Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Mix for five minutes. If you are doing this with a spoon, you will get a little bit of a workout, but I promise it’s worth it. The dough should be sticky.
Place two tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and make sure it is completely covered in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 1⁄2 hours.
Brush a 9x13-inch baking pan with two tablespoons of olive oil. Uncover the dough. Coat your hands with olive oil. Slide one hand under the dough and lift the dough up and fold it onto itself. Continue working your way around the bowl, folding the dough onto itself, until you have a rough ball. If you are a visual person like me, there are videos online you can watch if you are unsure of what folding dough looks like.
Place the dough in the oiled pan and turn the dough to coat in the oil. Press the dough to the pan’s edges. Let it relax for five minutes. Then press it to the edges again. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside until the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Remove the plastic wrap and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough. Put oil on your fingers and press your fingers into the dough to make dimples across the surface. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and herbs, if using. Bake for 24 to 30 minutes until golden brown.