Kitchen

[moonstone dunes]

I have an old recipe to make a risen Focaccia/Pizza Dough. I tried it a day or two ago.

It calls for 1 tsp yeast (which I did not proof first - recipe did not state but I should have because it was dead)

Of course, it didn't rise, but the proportions were odd. It never cleaned off the sides of the mixer (KitchenAid with dough hook)

3 c flour

2 T sugar

2 T salt (I used 1 tsp)

1 tsp yeast

1/8 tsp baking powder

1 T butter, melted

1/4 C. water

mix all dry ingredients in mixer w/dough hook

add melted butter and 1/4 c water.

mix until dough separates from sides.

let rest and roll out, add with toppings.

475 for 20-25 minutes.

thought 2 T salt was a typo so I used 2 tsp. 2 T of salt seems way too much.

the funny thing is the dough was so dry, it never formed enough of a shape in the mixer.

added 1/4 water 2 or 3 more times. still nothing.

finally just ran the mixer on high and little balls formed....kneaded it and stuck in the oven set for proof 20 min.

I made this one time many many years ago and mixed it in the Cuisinart. I guess it came out ok then.

ideas are welcome ? :-) I should add it was very stormy and rainy that day.

[LaLaMommy]

Focaccia is supposed to be a stickier/wetter dough, so I'm not so worried that it didn't "clean off the sides of mixer." But then you stated that the dough was "so dry", so I'm a bit confused on that.

If you are not going to take the proper time to proof, I think those "quick rise yeasts" would benefit you-just let it sit for 10 minutes. (I understand the recipe didn't specifically state to proof, but this is just rule of thumb for me).

If this recipe isn't one that you remember very fondly, and therefore you're not married to it, you might be better off finding a new one with positive user reviews. Even Youtube is another great source I find in trying out other people's tried & true recipes--it makes it easy to see the process and how the dough should look.

Good luck!

[wismiss]

I think there might have been a typo or something in the recipe. My "go to" bread recipe calls for 6-7 cups of flour and for 1 1/2 c. water (1/2 c. to dissolve yeast in) and 1 c. to add to the sugar, salt, melted butter mixture. So, 1/4 cup for 3 cups of flour does not seem like enough.

I would suggest looking at other recipes and maybe tweaking yours based on what the other recipes proportions are. I googled focaccia recipes and none of them had baking powder. In addition, a package of rapid rise yeast is 2 1/4 tsp. and most of the recipes called for a packet of yeast. Also, the sugar was tablespoons in the first few recipes I looked at and not teaspoons, so maybe your recipe was correct and there wasn't enough "food" for the yeast.

[PamelaSue72]

I'm also thinking that maybe the amount of yeast is "off". I'd probably go with 2-1/4 teaspoons, especially if it's older yeast.

And don't skimp too much on the salt. Yeast can feed on sugar, but it also needs a bit of salt to help it rise sometimes. Is that amount of salt (two tablespoons) correct? That sounds like a lot. If it is, cut it back to one tablespoon, but I don't think I'd go any lower than that. Up in the ingredients section, you said you used one teaspoon of salt, but then down lower you said two teaspoons, so I'm not sure.

I agree about looking at other recipes. Allrecipes.com can be a valuable resource for good recipes.

[Sooner]

There isn't enough water to make a sticky soft dough. Look for other recipes online and compare. Not enough water to activate the yeast is your problem.

[havanesecutie]

I just found that I had purchased the wrong yeast for my pizza dough recipe. I had rapid rise but the recipe directions really called for regular yeast. My dough never really raised correctly. When a recipe calls for adding the yeast with the dry ingredients (no proofing) you need to use rapid rise yeast. If you use regular yeast it should be proofed in water for about 5 minutes and then added to the dry ingredients. I will agree that the recipe you posted needs more water.

[debic]

Maybe the 1 got left off on the water and it should have been 1 1/4 cup. The only time I ever proof yeast is if it's been around for too long and I want to see if it's good. And the salt is way too much I agree, maybe it was recopied and should have been a small t? Many people don't know a capital is a tablespoon.

[gardenman]

Salt and sugar are used to control the rise in yeast doughs. Salt retards yeast activity (and can even kill yeast if used in large enough quantities) while sugar speeds it up. Some flat breads will use very little yeast and a lot of salt just to keep the bread flat. Some fluffier bread recipes will use very little salt and a lot of sugar to get a lot of rise in a short period of time. As a rule you never want to add the salt and yeast at the same time. Mix one in first then add the second. Sugar and yeast can be added together, but not the salt. Some professional bakers will alter the amount of salt/sugar they use in a recipe from batch to batch to stretch out or shorten rise times so their loaves won't over proof or they won't have the ovens sitting empty. They're pros and they have experience in how to tweak the recipes accordingly and can make most efficient use of their time and ovens in that manner.

When you have a recipe like this one that clearly has issues, your best bet is to throw it away and try a different one. There are seemingly endless recipes available online these days, so find a well reviewed one and give that a shot instead.

[moonstone dunes]

thank you all for your replies and suggestions. this recipe was printed in an old magazine, the dough was supposed to make fluffy round focaccia-like breads with toppings like a pizza.

the toppings were good though - , sautéed cauliflower, carmelized onion and a bit of ricotta and mozzarella and sundried tomatoes.

I too now believe there were typos in that recipe - and I ended up using 1 cup of water total because I kept adding 1/4 cup. 1 1/4 cup water seems more correct. the dough was elastic when I kneaded it - just not quite the right texture.

So frustrating when a recipe flops. second time this month . I tried to make an impossible pie with homemade bisquick.

[Sooner]

Every focaccia recipe I have made yields a wet and sticky dough. Just add water 'til you get there and you'll probably be fine! I LOVE that stuff!