All buttered up

Take your breadbasket to the next level with a beautiful butter board

While Christena Hubbard is not ready to give away her secret sourdough starter, she does share a few recipes that anyone can put to the test once they have made their own or talked a friend or family member into sharing a small sacred sample. You can also buy sourdough starter, but it still takes time and attention to maintain.

Hubbard, who also dabbles in interior design, collaborated with her friend and colleague Allison Gaudett to create a beautiful bread and butter board for Saltscapes that is as much a feast for the eyes as for the tummy. Christena used several of her favourite bread recipes, including a sweet little loaf of molasses sourdough, and whipped up a variety of butters to satisfy everyone’s cravings. Their creation takes the breadbasket to a new level.

Christena hopes that their creation will inspire home bakers to experiment with their own butter board designs, and has included instructions to make a smaller board using everyone’s favourite, molasses butter.

Molasses Butter Board

Molasses Butter

1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp (30 mL) molasses

1 tbsp (15 mL) honey

1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon

½ tsp (2.5 mL) salt

Toppings

Chopped pecans or walnuts

Dried cranberries

Orange zest

Fresh rosemary or thyme

Flaky sea salt

In a medium bowl, mix the softened butter, molasses, honey, cinnamon, and sea salt until fully combined.

Assemble the butter board: Spread the molasses butter evenly across a wooden or marble board. Sprinkle the chopped nuts, dried cranberries, and orange zest over the butter. Garnish with fresh herbs. Rosemary or thyme add a festive touch to the dish.

Finish with flaky sea salt and serve with a variety of good breads.

Herb Dipping Oil

1/3 cup (79 mL) olive oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) basil, finely chopped

½ tsp (2.5 mL) red pepper flakes, crushed

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

¼ tsp (1 mL) fresh black pepper

1 tsp (5 mL) Italian seasoning

1 tsp (5 mL) fresh garlic, minced

2 tsp (10 mL) parmesan, freshly grated

1 tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar

Pour your olive oil onto your serving plate or bowl.

Add the basil, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic, and grated parmesan.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve with your favourite sourdough focaccia.

Rosemary

Sourdough Focaccia

Dough

3¾ cups (500 g) all-purpose flour

1½ cup (350 g) water

½ cup (125 mL 100 g) active sourdough starter

1½ tsp (7 ½ mL) salt

2-3 tbsp (30-45 mL) olive oil

Toppings

Fresh rosemary

Flakey sea salt

Olive oil

In a large bowl, mix sourdough starter with water. Add flour and salt. Mix until all the flour is combined.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After resting, perform a series of stretch and folds. Grab a section of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it over the rest. Rotate the bowl and repeat until you’ve done it four times. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for 2 hours. Cover the bowl and let dough rise at room temperature for about 4-6 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the dough and gently press it out so it fills the dish. Cover and let the dough proof for another 2-4 hours at room temperature, until it looks puffy.

Preheat your oven to 450F/232C. Dimple the dough with your fingers. Drizzle olive oil over the top, sprinkle with fresh rosemary, and a generous amount of flaky sea salt.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Serve with oil for dipping or make your favourite sandwich.