Buckwheat Fennel Focaccia

After watching the first episode of Fat, Salt, Acid Heat, I’ve had my mind set on making my own focaccia! As a fan of boulangerie, I knew that this task wouldn’t be as time-consuming or tedious as other baked goods such as sourdough or enriched breads.

Let’s talk about how amazing buckwheat is! With a 100 score of Lysine, this grain is higher in protein than most cereal, though, with lower absorption (Sytar, O., et al,. 2016). In most cereals, lysine is the limiting amino acid. This means that its essential amino acid profile (AKA: what is required to consider it a complete protein) is dependant on the lysine content. Ideal combined with regular AP flour, it  creates a richer amino acid profile (high lysine, tryptophan, threonine) and the AP flour minimizes the impact anti-absorptive compounds (tannins, crude fibre) in the buckwheat. Match made in HEAVEN!

I took it upon myself to integrate the nutty flavour of buckwheat in this foccacia, and to balance out the flavours, I added cinnamon and fennel for a hint of sweetness. Please note that this is still a savoury bread and really benefits from a nice sprinkle of Maldon salt before popping it into the oven!

Buckwheat Fennel Focaccia 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp yeast
• 1 3/4 cup warm water
• 1.5 cup + 2 tbsp AP flour
• 1.5 cup + 2 tbsp buckwheat flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon powder
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. In a small bowl, add warm water and yeast. Allow to activate for 5-10 mins.
2. In large bowl, sift remaining ingredients.
3. Add the water mixture and mix until sticky, uniform dough forms.
4. Place in oiled container in fridge for 2 days for a delicious fermented bread. Alternatively, you can leave it out for 30 mins until it doubles in size.
5. Preheat oven to 450F.
6. Oil small sheet pan and add the dough, spreading gently and making divots with your fingers.
7. Drizzle the dough with olive oil and sprinkle Maldon salt (or fleur de sel).
8. Bake for 15 mins until top is golden brown.
9. Enjoy!

I absolutely LOVE using this bread to make smashed avo, topped with roasted pumpkin, and pumpkin seeds. Try it out, and let me know what you think!

Reference:

Sytar, O., Brestic, M., Zivcak, M., & Tran, L. S. (2016). The Contribution of Buckwheat Genetic Resources to Health and Dietary Diversity. Current genomics, 17(3), 193-206.