Salty Food
And then all of a sudden, after quite some time, as if triggered by the hand of a heavenly baker, something started, worked, opened. And the two of them began to look at each other with completely different eyes as if they were seeing each other for the first time. And there it was: and joint touches and chemical explosions. That pale dough suddenly woke up and began to flourish, overpowering and filling the world with the joy of being in two. It is interesting to note that in today’s world, characterized by the quickness of every kind, such love is long-lasting. Never-ending. Without exception. I’m not sure why this is so. Is the reason hidden in the sheer simplicity of starting without high expectations or in a relationship that has had time to mature? Or is it all in a secret that, just like bread dough, a relationship requires some strain and effort, some renunciation, and care? I do not know.
What I do know (because I screwed up a few times) is that if you add too much water, the dough will be soggy and inedible. And it won’t grow as it should if you put it in the oven too soon. And it will be tasteless if you do not season it with the right amount of salt and sugar. And it will be hard and unattractive if you rush it. And it will not smell as divine, homemade, bready unless it is RIGHT.
Therefore, make an effort. Patiently. Slowly and carefully. Step by step, giving the dough time. And before you think, it will show whether the recipe you choose is the best for you. Don’t worry if it is not. Just change the flour and perfect the process. Sooner or later, your bread will smell far and wide. As we said, the smell of freshly baked bread is the smell of a happy home. In the meantime, we can practice together, with delicious bread snacks, such as these which I collected the recipe somewhere in Liguria, the focaccia’s homeland.
TEXT – Vesna Dzuverovich
PHOTO – Robert Blaskovich
And then all of a sudden, after quite some time, as if triggered by the hand of a heavenly baker, something started, worked, opened. And the two of them began to look at each other with completely different eyes as if they were seeing each other for the first time. And there it was: and joint touches and chemical explosions. That pale dough suddenly woke up and began to flourish, overpowering and filling the world with the joy of being in two.
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
4 eggs
6 tbsp water
200 g sugar
200 g plain flour
1/2 baking powder
1 vanilla sugar
strawberry essence
(for red colour)
Ingredients 2
600 ml milk
2 vanilla pudding powder
1 vanilla sugar
200 g butter or margarine
150 g icing sugar
100 g strawberries
Ingredients 3
340 g dark chocolate
(
250 ml whipping cream
2 tbsp rum
Ingredients
4 eggs
6 tbsp water
200 g sugar
200 g plain flour
1/2 baking powder
1 vanilla sugar
strawberry essence
(for red colour)
Ingredients 2
600 ml milk
2 vanilla pudding powder
1 vanilla sugar
200 g butter or margarine
150 g icing sugar
100 g strawberries
Ingredients
4 eggs
6 tbsp water
200 g sugar
200 g plain flour
1/2 baking powder
1 vanilla sugar
strawberry essence
(for red colour)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
With a hand-held mixer beat the eggs with sugar and vanilla sugar. When the mixture gets foamy, gradually add sifted flour and baking powder. Then add water and strawberry essence to give some red colour to the batter. Pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured a 26-cm round cake tin and put it in a preheated oven at 180° C for about 30 minutes. Cut the finished cake in half horizontally. The lower part of the cake cover with half of the cream and put on it sliced strawberries. Then cover with the rest of the cream and place other cake on top of it.
Directions
Stir vanilla pudding powder and vanilla sugar with some milk. Pour the rest of the milk in a saucepan, and bring to the boil. When it boils, add a mixture of pudding and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on light heat. Beat butter or margarine with icing sugar and slowly add to it (spoon by spoon) cooled pudding and beat until the mixture is incorporated.
Extra
Break chocolate into chunks and put it in the bowl. Put the heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. When it boils, pour over chocolate and stir until the mixture gets well incorporated (until all the chocolate dissolves). Let the cream for a few hours (about 5 hours) in the fridge to get stiff. Beat the cream with a hand-held mixer until it gets foamy. Spoon the cream over the top of the cake and decorate according to your preference.
Ingredients
With a hand-held mixer beat the eggs with sugar and vanilla sugar. When the mixture gets foamy, gradually add sifted flour and baking powder. Then add water and strawberry essence to give some red colour to the batter. Pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured a 26-cm round cake tin and put it in a preheated oven at 180° C for about 30 minutes. Cut the finished cake in half horizontally. The lower part of the cake cover with half of the cream and put on it sliced strawberries. Then cover with the rest of the cream and place other cake on top of it.
Directions
Stir vanilla pudding powder and vanilla sugar with some milk. Pour the rest of the milk in a saucepan, and bring to the boil. When it boils, add a mixture of pudding and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on light heat. Beat butter or margarine with icing sugar and slowly add to it (spoon by spoon) cooled pudding and beat until the mixture is incorporated.
Directions
With a hand-held mixer beat the eggs with sugar and vanilla sugar. When the mixture gets foamy, gradually add sifted flour and baking powder. Then add water and strawberry essence to give some red colour to the batter. Pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured a 26-cm round cake tin and put it in a preheated oven at 180° C for about 30 minutes. Cut the finished cake in half horizontally. The lower part of the cake cover with half of the cream and put on it sliced strawberries. Then cover with the rest of the cream and place other cake on top of it.
