Focaccia
bread is one of the most popular and ancient
types of flat breads available. Often
baked with herbs, cheese or other ingredients
added to the dough, focaccia can be looked
upon as a predecessor of the modern pizza.
This bread is usually eaten accompanied
by some sort of topping or seasonal additive,
and recipes for focaccia bread range from
sweet to savory, and from extremely simple
to requiring several hours of preparation.
The name of this bread is taken from
the Roman phrase “panis focacius,”
which referred to a flat loaf of bread
cooked upon a hearth or under the ashes
of a fire. The first focaccia breads were
essentially just mixtures of flour, water
and salt that used a flat baking method
that worked for any available source of
heat. Although most focaccia breads were
originally unleavened (without rising),
due to the dense salty air of the Mediterranean
climate, many recipes today call for small
amounts of yeast or other leavening agents.
For much of its recent history, focaccia
bread has been affiliated with religious
ceremonies, particularly Christmas Eve
and some Catholic celebrations. In the
modern United States, focaccia first gained
success in the form of pizza. It has recently
become a popular addition to many coffee
houses and delis. Focaccia is also available
in many supermarkets, and can be stored
for long periods of time frozen or in
air-tight containers.
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