Today’s Buttery Croissant Loaf is a study in compromise. Don’t worry, the taste is in no way detracted from or altered because the dough is not the problem. I can make croissant dough without many tears or frustrations. But forming a croissant into that perfect croissant shape? Well, let’s just say that’s a work in progress. This loaf sidesteps the shaping issue and delivers all the flaky, butteriness of the classic croissant in a sliceable and toastable format. And if you’re hosting a New Year’s brunch, you really can’t ask for a better centerpiece. So let’s dive right in!
Rosemary Focaccia with Mortadella and Pistachio Labneh
I’ve always been a fan of thick-crust pizza probably because I’ve always been a fan of bread. Well, really carbs in general. In my neck of the woods, most restaurant pizza is Neopolitan style, which is great – I have no complaints. But it’s not the only kind of pizza I want to see in the world. I adore New York style, and I can get down with Detroit, but my true love is Sicilian-style pizza or Sfincione. Today’s Rosemary Focaccia with Mortadella and Pistachio Labneh features a pillowy Scilian-style pizza crust topped with rosettes of shaved mortadella, dollops of earthy and tangy pistachio labneh, and torn fresh mozzarella. This pizza is by no means a traditional sfincione but my goodness, is it delicious. So let’s make it!
Orange Feta Focaccia
Focaccia was the first bread I ever made. And there is a very good reason for this – it’s dead simple. I mean, of course, you can make focaccia complicated. You can obsess over minute details and tirelessly perfect the process, like a sushi chef trainee making batch after batch of rice. But in my perfectly imperfect daily life, quick and dirty but delicious focaccia is all I’m after. So that’s exactly what today’s recipe is. A chill approachable rendition of an almost universally loved bread. And if you’re new to the world of yeasted doughs, this is the perfect place to start. This Orange Feta Focaccia is a confidence-building recipe.
Pesto Shallot Cheese Buns
It’s the end of February, only carbs and cheese will do. We had a bit of a snowstorm in Toronto this week. And while we’ve been enjoying a reasonably mild winter this year, this is always the point in the season where my patience begins to wear thin. The cold feels more insulting, the snow more cumbersome, and the road salt more disgusting. And as anyone Canadian will tell you, March offers very little respite from the winter weather. The calendar may announce the arrival of Spring but more often than not the forecast has other plans. So when I hit this weather-worn state while staring down the barrel of yet more winter, I like to make things like today’s Pesto Shallot Cheese Buns to help see me through. They’re a cozy and unabashedly indulgent ray of sunshine when there is very little to be found. So let’s make them!