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Claudia Romeo: We are in Bari, Italy, my hometown,
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and today I am going to take you to a local bakery
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to try some focaccia bread.
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I know what you're thinking,
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haven't you done a video about focaccia already?
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Well, kind of, but what in the northern regions
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is a savory bread with olive oil,
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here in the southern regions, it's got —
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well, actually, here we're not shy on ingredients.
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We've got olive oil, but we've also got tomatoes,
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we've got oregano, we've got olives,
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we've got more olive oil.
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So, I can't wait to try it.
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Let's go and see how it's made.
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Today we're going to visit Panificio Fiore,
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a local bakery that's been churning
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fresh focaccia every day for over a century.
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The bakery is just a few steps away
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from the city's Basilica di San Nicola,
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an important destination for pilgrims all over the world.
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For those foodies exploring the old town
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on another kind of pilgrimage,
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a slice of focaccia here will cost you only 1 euro
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and will for sure open the doors of heaven.
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PS: The bakery is actually located
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in a deconsecrated 13th-century Byzantine chapel.
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Claudia: Focaccia at Panificio Fiore
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is made with a combination of semolina and wheat flour.
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When the leavening time is over,
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the next step is to split the dough into small portions,
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which will, in turn, have to rest again for some time.
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15 minutes later, the dough has fermented
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and is stretched onto these round baking trays,
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ready to be seasoned.
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Claudia: After tomatoes, Antonio flavors each wheel
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with olives, salt, and oregano.
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Claudia: Here we go. Another 15 minutes have passed,
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and the focaccia has soaked up
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all the flavors of the seasoning.
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Now it's time to cook it in the bakery's
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120-year-old wood-fired oven.
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Claudia: So, what is the best way to eat focaccia?
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Well, actually, there are many.
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What I like to do is just come in here by the seaside,
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sit here, and have my piece of focaccia
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with a beer sometimes.
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It depends on the time of the day.
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So, you see, this one has been made
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just around the corner at the bakery.
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Look at the oil.
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So good.
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Wow! Oh, my goodness.
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It's so good. It's so oily,
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but in a good way.
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So fluffy inside, and the tomatoes are just incredible.
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I just love all the flavors all together.
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You've got the acidity of the olive
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and the oily texture,
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and the tomatoes add that extra creaminess.
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And then you've got the dough,
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which is nice and fluffy.
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This is the best feeling ever.
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Sitting here by the seaside, having a piece of focaccia.
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So good.