Baking has been a mainstay of life at home recently- and one of the biggest food trends we've seen during coronavirus.
Focaccia art is the latest food trend – and it’s really pretty
If people weren't making their own sourdough starter, they were searching the shelves for yeast and flour to make a loaf and who can forget the cake of lockdown: banana bread?
Now there's a new doughy trend on the block – focaccia art. Not content with making their own loaves, people are now baking classic Italian focaccias and decorating them with gorgeous designs made from vegetables.
Led by artisan baker The Vineyard Baker, Teri Culetto from Massachusetts, people are trying their own art – and it's making a plain loaf of bread look super special.
Making the bread
Making focaccia is relatively simple. You'll need to mix yeast, strong bread flour, water, salt and good quality olive oil in a bowl until it forms a dough. Knead, then leave to rise until double in size.
Once it's risen, place in a tray and make sure it is pressed to the sides and corners, then make multiple 'dimples' with your fingers – before drizzling in more olive oil. You can find a full recipe from Paul Hollywood on BBC Good Food.
Then it's time to get creative.
Decorating
What you use to top your loaf is entirely up to you, but think sliced onions or halved tomatoes for flowers, herbs or spring onions as trees or plants, and slices of peppers around a tomato for the sun and its rays. Mushrooms, olives and cheese make nice additions too.
You can make it as detailed as you want; some people are sticking to a few decorations, while others are making a whole scene…
Take inspiration from your home country, holidays or nature.
Just make sure you like the ingredients you're using. An onion might make a great flower, but if you're not keen on them you'll wish you'd thought of something else.