If you're sick of banana bread and have drunk your fill of Dalgona coffees, then it's time to undertake a new quarantine cooking project.
Most of us have been working from home for the last nine weeks, trying to navigate society's new normal. Throughout this trying period, it seems that everyone and their mother has rediscovered a love of baking and cooking. We've seen banana bread come and go, sourdough has had its day and we think the whipped coffee trend is now over as quickly as it appeared.
If you need a new project to fill your time, Instagram has highlighted a brand-new trend for us to enjoy: focaccia art.
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What is focaccia art?
Whether you call it focaccia art, garden focaccia, gardenscape focaccia or the focaccia challenge, this new trend is all about beautiful looking bread. At its core, this craze is all about Italian-style bread decorated with herbs and vegetables.
Focaccia is a yeasted dough with a texture similar to pizza dough, often prepared with olive oil and herbs. It has a thick airy crumb with a light and flavourful crust, making it perfect for sandwiches. It's also commonly seen on menus as a side or starter served with oil and vinegar.
Focaccia art involves decorating the top of your focaccia with vegetables to create a garden scene, usually involving flowers and trees. We've seen chives used as stems, tomatoes used as flowers and olives as the grass, resulting in incredibly artistic bakes.
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How to make focaccia art
Making bread is a relaxing activity, which is why so many people have turned to it during this time of unease. We have a couple of great focaccia recipes available on the site which you can use to start your focaccia art project.
Once your focaccia has had its initial prove, knock it back and shape it in your tin for its second and final prove. Then, grab your favourite herbs and vegetables – think rosemary, parsley, chives, peppers, spring onions, tomatoes – and decorate your dough as you see fit. Get creative with it, then bake your bread and watch it bloom!
We scrolled through Instagram to find some of our favourite samples, check them our below.
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