This post is sponsored by eBay and ShopStyle. All opinions are my own.
Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.
Has the baking bug of 2020 bitten you yet? I feel like EVERYONE was baking back in March and April. At the time I was plenty happy just keeping my local bakery in business (seemingly single handed - yikes!) and I wasn't much into baking at home. Truth is, I've never been great at baking at home. My daughter is much more skilled and inspired in the baking department than I am. But as the holiday season started getting closer I have to admit... the urge to bake has been STRONG. And I can't resist. Baking can be so intimidating! Kneading, rolling, get the measurements JUST right. I'm much better at throwing some salt and pepper, meat and veggies together for dinner. But I am bound and determined to make this baking thing work. I can see why people turn to it during stressful times... the process itself is VERY satisfying and of course, the end product is always such a treat!
I've long viewed a KitchenAid stand mixer as the ultimate in kitchen goals and finally splurged on one for myself this year. I've already used it a few times and it's an absolute dream to use! Especially for a beginner like me... with simple dials and a super sturdy base I can see why everyone raves about the KitchenAid mixer. I got mine for a great price from eBay's selection of Certified Refurbished kitchen tools and I'm very impressed with it! It's just like brand new!
Our family has an obsession with focaccia bread right now. Our local bakery makes it a few days a week but it always sells out. And one night recently I went down a rabbit hole on the internet about focaccia bread artwork. (Google it! You will be delighted and amazed... and instantly hungry!) Armed with my new KitchenAid stand mixer I had to give focaccia - and maybe a little bread artwork - a try! I never imagined bread could be so easy to make. I just threw all the ingredients in the bowl with the bread hook attachment and the KitchenAid did all the work. I won't say I'm a pro yet... but I will say this one single loaf disappeared from my kitchen counter in less than 5 minutes. In fact, someone ripped a piece off before I could even photograph it - haha! I'll post the general recipe I used below and I highly recommend having some fun with the artwork part on your own, or with your kids. It truly was a fun recipe, start to finish!
eBay is your one stop shop for all things Certified Refurbished for the kitchen - I'm not sure I will ever pay full price for a new kitchen gadget again. These deals are so great! Plus, all Certified Refurbished products are recycled and kept out of the landfills, so it's a true win-win. Right now so many Certified Refurbished items are on sale and with eBay's Fast N'Free shipping your purchase will arrive fast and on-time. I chose the 3.5 quart stand mixer (since I'm a beginner and don't have a lot of storage for it), but there is also a slightly larger 5 quart option as well. These make great gifts for the baker (or baker wannabe) on your holiday list this year. Other great giftables are this electric tea kettle, this food processor (I own this and love!) and my husband has an air fryer on his wishlist this year. There are some great deals on other Certified Refurbished home goods like this Roomba vacuum, a cordless Dyson (we are obsessed with ours!) or tons of Certified Refurbished tools for the handy-man (or woman) in your life.
You can also use code: PURCHASECR15 for 15% off select Certified Refurbished products up to $100, expiring on December 18 at 11:59pm. So make sure to take advantage of that extra discount. You can find more information here.
Focaccia Recipe I used... (loosely based on this recipe, with a few tweaks)
3 1/4 cup flour
1 packet of yeast (1/4 ounce)
2 teaspoons of honey
2 pinches of sea salt (+ more for sprinkling the top)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil (+ more for brushing on top before baking)
1 1/4 cup of warm water
cherry tomatoes and fresh rosemary for decorating the top
~~
1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Pour ALL ingredients (minus the tomatoes and rosemary for the top) into the KitchenAid stand mixer bowl. Attach the bread hook attachment and start on low. Slowly increase the speed until all the ingredients come together in one well mixed dough ball (it's like magic how it perfectly forms a ball right in front of your eyes!)
3. Remove the bowl with the dough inside from the stand. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough ball and turn the dough ball to evenly coat with the oil. Replace the dough ball to the bowl and cover with a towel to rise for 2-3 hours.
4. Using a baking sheet covered in parchment paper spread the dough evenly on the surface (I just used my hands to work it). Then poke your fingers into the bread in an even pattern (about every inch) to make small wells for the olive oil to stand.
(At this point I ran out of time and had to pop it in the fridge overnight - poor planning on my part - then when I took it out I let it come to room temp before decorating and baking. I would not recommend this as I think I lost some of the potential rise on the dough)
5. Decorate your bread however you like! You can also leave it plain (our local bakery does and it's amazing as a side dish or bread for sandwiches). I did tomatoes and rosemary to look like Christmas holly.
6. Before baking it brush on about another 1/4 of olive to the entire surface making sure to coat the decorations thoroughly so they don't burn. Sprinkle on 3-4 pinches of sea salt.
7. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. You can also drizzle MORE olive oil on straight out of the oven and let it absorb too.
ENJOY!
This makes a great side dish or undecorated makes great sandwich bread. Or if you are savage like my family you just eat it straight out of the oven for an afternoon snack ;)
