I occasionally enter recipe contests. I know, it’s a little odd. People are inevitably taken aback by the whole idea. I have won everything from kitchen trinkets, like olive oil cruets and butter belles, to fine quality bake ware to cash prize and trip as a finalist at the National Festival of Bread. http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com I enter this one most consistently, as its focus is on bread, using whole food ingredients. It’s also held biannually, so contestants have several years to ponder the whole thing and develop recipe ideas.
The entrants-of-recipe-contests (ERCs for short) are a fascinating bunch. I got to know a few of the other finalists when baking at the NFOB. Several were bakers like me, having just wandered in with a unique idea, which was selected for the final competition. Others were Professional ERCs. They had been finalists in many contests, and had the whole routine down to a science. Two had even been finalists in the renowned, granddaddy contest of them all, the Pillsbury Bake-Off. One assured me that if only I was willing to modify my bread recipe to include all processed convenience items, my recipe would be a shoe-in…
Folks quite predictably ask me how I ever got started with contests. Growing up on a farm, one might expect that 4-H would be part of my experience. But no, somehow I joined the Camp Fire Girls. My mom was the group leader, though she had substantial help from another parent couple. She was the consummate artsy/crafty person, making sure that we had meaningful weekly activities at meetings, and that we earned our various patches and beads. The couple that co-led with her handled the great outdoors and camping events. My mom was good at many things, but camping was not one of them… BTW, I have followed in Mom’s footsteps on the whole camping thing. If I’m traveling somewhere, there will be a proper bed at the end of the day and a Starbuck’s within ten minutes drive. Count on it!
My favorite part of being a CFG was the annual county and state fair competitions. These were individual events, and I entered baked goods, beaded work and sewn items. With the farm long gone from our family, I now have what I call my childhood-in-a-suitcase. The case holds favorite things from my growing up on the farm, and among those things are the many ribbons and trophies won in fair competitions. So perhaps the whole food as competition thing was hard wired into me from an early age. That’s my theory…
Today’s Dried Pear and Hazelnut Focaccia recipe is tweaked from one of my recipes awarded Honorable Mention at the NFOB. Having entered it into a contest, it’s really no longer my recipe, and the original can be found at http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com/recipes/fig-and-walnut-focaccia.
You’ll note that the original included that devious culprit, the dried fig, now avoidable since I live in fresh fig territory! Focaccia is really just a fancy pizza. The directions are quite explicit, which is required for recipe entries. Don’t let that throw you off-this one is easy to make and is quite versatile. It pairs beautifully with cheeses and fresh fruit for an appetizer or even for breakfast. Made a bit thicker, it can be sliced horizontally for sandwiches. Do try it… just don’t enter it into a contest.
Dried Pear and Hazelnut Focaccia with Balsamic Honey Drizzle
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 3/4 cup very warm water
- 1 1/2 tsp honey, divided
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour I use sprouted whole wheat
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts toasted
- 3 dried pear halves
- coarsely ground seat salt for the top
- 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Measure all-purpose flour into an electric mixer bowl. Stir in the yeast, then add the very warm water and ½ teaspoon of the honey. Mix by hand to make a sponge. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 2 hours. The sponge should be doubled and bubbly.
- Insert the bowl of sponge into the mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix in the remaining ¾ cup whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and the salt. Mix on low-medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until the dough climbs the paddle. Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should be very wet, but very smooth. Scrape dough out onto a floured pastry cloth or board. Round into a ball and place in a large deep bowl, which has been coated with pan spray. Spray the top of the dough lightly, then cover. Set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the chopped hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast the nuts for 7-8 minutes or until lightly golden. (Ignore this step if nuts are pre-toasted.) Set aside to cool. Cut each pear half into 6 pieces, and place in a medium sized bowl. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the balsamic vinegar over the pears, then barely cover with hot water to soften the fruit.
- Insert a baking rack into the lower third of the oven. If a baking stone is available, place it on the rack, then pre-heat the oven to 425degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the dough out and flatten slightly into a rectangle. Drain the fruit and squeeze out excess liquid. Sprinkle the cooled hazelnuts and pear pieces evenly over the dough. Fold one-third of the dough to the center, then fold the remaining third over the top to enfold all of the nuts and pears. Transfer the dough to a square of parchment paper. (Transfer to a baking sheet if a baking stone is not available.) Press dough out toward the edges with finger tips, until the rectangle is approximately 7 inches by 5 inches. Brush dough lightly with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Cover lightly with a clean tea towel and set aside to rise for 30 minutes.
- Lightly dimple the risen loaf with the knuckles of one hand. Sprinkle the top of the loaf lightly with coarse sea salt, then chopped rosemary. Combine the remaining honey and balsamic vinegar and drizzle over the surface of the loaf. Slide the loaf with parchment onto the baking stone and bake 25-30 minutes, or until evenly browned and the bottom is brown and firm. Remove to a cooling rack for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Serve while warm.
Notes
