We met Natalie Hindman many years ago when her brother married one of Peter's cousins! She comes from a great family and her Mom and Peter's Mom are dear friends.
Natalie is quite an extraordinary cook and baker as you can see from this beautiful focaccia bread she crafted - but also from her blog where she highlights so many of her wonderful recipes. They can be found at persanatalie.blogspot.com - Follow her blog for some sensational cooking ideas.
In 2019 a woman named Teri Culetto - who began baking bread in 2018, right around the time she visited a Vincent Van Gogh exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, made a botanical focaccia bread.
Her first bread project titled "Vincent Van Dough" had quite the following on Instagram and inspired others to create these works of Art.
Natalie knocked it out of the ballpark with her botanical focaccia creation!
Here is her recipe for this bread that is too pretty to eat!
INGREDIENTS
STARTER
This can be made 12 to 24 hours before you use it
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
DOUGH RECIPE
3 2/3 Cups plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon sugar
Plus your dough starter
Seasoning for top of dough
1/4 Olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry rosemary
parmesan cheese
Veggies of your choice for decorating
DIRECTIONS
To make your starter add the 3 ingredients together and mix until smooth...It should look like pancake batter consistency it is ready to use in 12 hours, but can be used later
When you are ready to make your dough add lukewarm water along with yeast, sugar and olive oil ...stir and set aside....add the flour and salt to stand mixer with dough hook.....give a stir and then slowly add yeast mixture...mix ...then add dough starter.and mix
until sticky dough forms...add dough to lightly floured surface...knead a few times and add dough to oiled bowl...cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours
Once dough is double in size...punch down and add dough to your oiled pan patting and spreading until even and size you like...cover with towel and let rise a second time until puffy about 1 hour
Preheat Oven to 450 then lower to 400 degrees for baking
Once dough has risen for second time brush with seasoned olive oil the sprinkle with parmesan cheese....then decorate with veggies of your choice
Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until golden brown
Season and Stir carries a delicious Focaccia Bread Mix - on our site under Pasta/Dry Goods and/or Specialty Section as well.
We hope this is one of many recipes Natalie shares with us and now that our escargot pans from France are on the site - we hope she returns with that recipe as well!
