This is me trying to get into the holiday spirit (and also trying to keep my kitchen warm. We have’t turned the heat on yet), but I think I might be thinking of the wrong holiday. Whatever. Pink bread can be spooky and Halloweenie right? And it really doesn’t even matter cause it is bread and pink and awesome so no holiday needed to eat it.
So this focaccia is pink because it is made with pureed beets and before you go and say anything, no it doesn’t really taste like beets. It tastes like amazing bread with a soft tender interior and a nice crispy crust that might have a very slight earthiness to it that only makes it better. It is simple and delicious and again, pink. That is it.
Now you want to make it and all you need is a few beets, flour, yeast, salt sand oil then you are good to go. What a nice little weekend baking project for the last few days of October. And if the pink bread creeps anyone out, well all the better!
Now to the beet focaccia.
The stuff. Roasted beets, flour, yeast. salt, water, and there should definitely be olive oil in this picture.. I don’t know where it went.
First, peel your roasted beets (or roast them and then peel them) The skin should come right off and a little left over skin is fine. Oh and make sure you eat left over skins. They are fanatic.
Now puree the skinned beets unite smooth.
Pureed beets and water go into a big bowl along with the yeast and get mixed around. Then add in flour and a little salt and mix until a shaggy dough is formed. Cover and left rise.
Risen dough.
Grease baking sheet and add a puddle of olive oil to the middle. Scrap dough into the oil and gently smoosh and push dough into pan. Cove and let rest for another 1/2 hour and preheat oven.
Once dough has rested, drizzle more oil on top and dimple the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle the top with some good salt and pop into the hot oven and bake for about half an hour.
Done!
Pink and pretty and all sorts of good. Focaccia at its finest!
Now cut it up and eat it!
Beet Focaccia
makes a 9x13 inch loaf
4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup pureed roasted beets (3-4 medium beets should do)
1 cup warm water
2-3 teaspoons salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
If you haven't roasted your beets yet, do that. Just toss beets on a sheet pan and stick into hot (like 450 degree) oven for about an hour until tender.
Start with beets. If still hot from roasting, wait until cooled and peel off skin. Place peeled beets into a blender and blend until smooth. You should get about a cup if puree. Any extra, well you got yourself a snack
Place the cup of beet puree into a large bowl along with the warm water and yeast. Mix until combined. Add in a teaspoon of salt and the flour. Mix until a shaggy and wet dough forms and there is not dry flour left. Scrap all the dough into a ball and then cover bowl with a bowl and place somewhere warm to rise for an hour, to an hour and a half (longer if your kitchen is cold)
Once dough has doubled in size, preheat oven to 425
Grab a 9x13 sheet pan and grease with a butter or shortening (this helps with sticking) them drizzle 2 tablespoon of olive oil in the middle. Scrap the dough into the oil oil puddle the with oiled fingers gently smoosh the dough into the pan. Cover again and le dough rest and poof up again for about 30 minutes.
The oven should be nice and hot and when you check the dough it should have poofed up a bit and spread little. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil on top of dough and with oiled fingers, dimple the dough. Press nearly to the bottom of the pan but be gentle about it to try and not knock all the air out. Once dimpled sprinkle the top with a teaspoon or two of good course or fishing salt and pop into the oven. Bake for about a 1/2 hour or until the top is starting to brown. Remove the bread from oven and let cool a few minutes in pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool some more. Or just cut into it warm and eat it.
Focaccia is best eaten within a day or two but freezes well.
I swear I didn't plan this, but today is officially Pi Day! Pi being the mathematical constant of the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its dimeter (did I say that right?) 3.1415…… And today's date is 3.14.15. 
The chilled pie crust gets rolled out, placed into a pie plate, trimmed and made all pretty. The bottom is sprinkled with a 1/4 cup of sugar and stuck back into the fridge while the oven preheats to 350. Now is a good time to dice the rhubarb into inchish chunks. Once the oven is preheated, remove crust from fridge and add in the diced rhubarb.
The remaining sugar and flour get mixed together in a bowl and dump on top of the rhubarb. Give it a tiny toss with you fingers just to get some of the mixture to sink down a little. (Don't worry, the filling will be perfect when you do it like this) I also cut up the pie crust trimmings and placed on top… not necessary, but looks pretty and is a good use of the scraps.
And then you take it from the oven and marvel at the beauty.
So lovely…. so nice. I really got into these flavors. This drink has the ability to make you feel warm and cozy while being cold and fresh. It makes me happy.