I have a very uncommon last name. Bon. I also have a last name that makes for a lot of jokes. The main one, 'You're Bon, Adriana Bon'. And now you tell me that you don't see what's so funny about it. Well, Spaniards pronounce Bond and Bon pretty much the same way. So I'm officially the niece of agent 007.
Even though there's a large number of 'Bons' in the region where my dad is from, Castellon, the name comes originally from a region in Italy, Veneto. My sister, who is a librarian, found out our origins after thorough research on the subject. Still, we have never met anyone with the same name outside of our little reduct in Spain.
Here's where life gets very ironic. The same sister who found out about the last name, moved to Italy 3 years ago. She lives in 'La Spezia', which belongs to the region of 'Liguria'. Turns out, right by the train station of the city, there's a piazza with a really curious name. Piazza Saint Bon. My sister didn't even tell me about it until the first time I went to visit. When she pointed at the sign with the name and started laughing.
This is the reason why, when I found out the Bread Baking Day of this month was about italian breads, I had to make the typical bread of Liguria, Focaccia. This light, crispy on the outside and soft in the inside bread, is ideal to munch on. It accepts whatever toppings you want to bake it with. I chose rosemary, but you can definitely add tomatoes, olives, capers or whatever herbs you want.
I've seen focaccias of all thicknesses possible. Mine is on the thin side, probably because of the addition of whole wheat flour. I feel like it adds a depth of flavor to it. Of course, the olive oil does a great part of that job. Don't substitute it, please, the result won't be as good.
Rosemary whole-wheat focaccia
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1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 packet instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
For topping
1 tablespoon rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
In a big bowl, mix together the flours, salt and yeast. Add the water and oil and mix until combined. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Grease a bowl and place the dough to rise until doubled in volume or for 1 1/2 hours.
Transfer the dough into a 17 by 9 inches baking sheet. Press it down until it covers the entire pan. With the tips of your fingers, make indentations on the dough. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with the rosemary and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 F. Bake the focaccia for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let it cool and cut into squares.
Like I said, this post is part of the Bread Baking Day challenge of this month, Italian breads and it will also be sent to Yeastspotting
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