Bread, foccacia, pizza

Today we learned six different bread and focaccia recipes, in addition to a basic dough for pizza Margherita. It was a long day in a hot kitchen, with three ovens in operation.

In Italy they use many different types of flour, and ancient recipes and techniques have been perfected over the centuries based on the particular qualities of each flour. I do believe they would scoff at the notion of all-purpose flour so popular in the United States.

Because of this, I'm not certain how well these dough recipes would work without the benefit of these various flours.

Tip of the Day: Substitute malt for sugar in dough recipes. It adds not only sweetness, but also a bit of color and flavor.

Here is Chef Gino explaining the birth of ciabatta, helpfully interpreted by Bridgit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_017n7Z-l6I