Sourdough Focaccia and a Sourdough Potato-Spelt-Oatmeal Bread

One of my recent goals is to work through Maurizio's recipes in The Perfect Loaf. Maurizio's recipes are incredibly precise and I find that sometimes the first time through I don't always get the same results he does. But his focaccia was a winner on the first try.

Maurizio suggests pushing add-ins like tomatoes and olives deep into the unbaked dough.

I topped the dough with basil, oregano, and flaked sea salt.

Next time around I would add more tomatoes and olives.

But what a meal.

There is also great joy for me in inventing breads and last week I needed to deal with some russet potatoes that were not going to last another week. I boiled and mashed them and added them to a sourdough loaf and then bulked up the dough with spelt flour and raw oats. 

Making potato breads are tricky because the potatoes contain a surprising amount of moisture hidden inside them. That's why I cannot provide a recipe. I just keep kneading in more flour until it finally matches the water content provided by the potatoes. It is also why I added uncooked oat flakes. I wanted them to absorb some of that extra water. 

A memorable PB&J with fresh ground peanut butter and homemade strawberry jam.