Developing film, a new flat, & focaccia
some snaps from the holidays, flat hunting, & my go to focaccia recipe
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The tundra
We’re in it, my dears. The world is frozen and I’m pretty sure we all feel the same way about it - discontent. If you feel anything other than cold, I’d like the name of the city you live in and it’s temperature - I’m en route! As I type, my hands are frozen and finding it difficult to navigate the key board. A wonderful excuse for why I put off writing this week’s newsletter along with the reality of moving out of our flat which is fast approaching. You see, finding an apartment (or flat as the Brits call it) in London is a near impossible feat. The housing market is a dark place, a place I hope to not enter into for a few more years, if we can manage. Prices have sky rocketed and it seems everyone is looking for a flat at the same time - how is it possible? It’s the question I asked myself over these past 6 months.
When we first moved into our current flat here in West London, we thought that we’d most likely not move until we were ready, until we were able to make the decision for ourselves. Our landlady had assured us that the flat had been in her family for many years and that they were looking to keep it that way for the foreseeable future. Well, the future came and they decided to jump into the market and sell the flat. And so, we entered into the rental pool again, unwillingly, dragging our feet.
It wasn’t just any rental market though, it was a crazy one. So crazy that properties we offered on were receiving 8-10 offers on the day of the first viewing. And don’t get me started with how estate agents work here. I come from a family of real estate agents and I’m licensed as an agent myself. I understand the ethical practices of the business and have, unfortunately, experienced unethical practices, but the agency system in the UK is by far the most excruciating and backwards to deal with. Luckily, after viewing dozens of houses with a multitude of different agencies and after a handful of lost offers, we landed ourselves a real gem - shout out to the ounce of patience I have left for getting me this far and of which is hanging by a thread. As we pack up our boxes and leave behind our first London flat, there’s so much nostalgia, but a deep feeling of gratitude for this little tiny flat that we were lucky enough to call home over the last 2.5 years.
Here are some developed film photos from October 2021, the first moments of my official move to London.
And as we come to the end of an era, some developed film photos from December 2023 and January 2024.
It’s been fun to build our lives in this flat. We’re forever grateful for our time here, but can’t wait to show you the new digs soon enough!
Festive film
Just before jetting off to Italy for Christmas, I traded in some old camera lenses I had that were collecting dust and taking up space. I decided on an older 35mm film camera, added on a few rolls of color film, and an additional lens - and voila we had a fair trade (much to my surprise)!
There was no better way to start shooting than in Rome so I set out to taking as many photos as I could over the few weeks we were there. I hope you enjoy these snaps and let me know which one is your favorite!
Focaccia
This should be an easy, no fail version of focaccia that you can add to your weekly rotation. It uses dry active yeast which is why I call this no fail. Usually I make my focaccia with sourdough but I’m currently not feeding a starter and I assume many of you are not either. Which is why I hope this recipe treats you well.
This recipe will make one very tall focaccia or two normal sized focaccia’s. Bake on a sheet tray or roasting tin (for a high focaccia) - the choice is yours and the height of your focaccia will depend on the size of the pan you use.
Ingredients
800g of flour, type 0 or 00
200g of fine semolina flour
750ml of lukewarm water
5g of active dry yeast
20g of kosher sea salt
20g of extra virgin olive oil
Method
In a large bowl, mix the warm water and yeast together. Add the olive oil to the water and yeast mixture and then add the flours. Mix until you have a shaggy dough - because of the amount of water, the dough will be on the wet side, that’s ok as over time the flour will absorb the water and the dough will become more uniform and take shape. Next, add the salt and really work into the dough, making sure the salt is evenly distributed.
Over the next 5-6 hours, occasionally give the dough a few folds (if you don’t know what this looks like, watch some videos for coil folding method or dough folding methods and keep practicing). Fold every 30 minutes or every hour in the first few hours, you can also give it a few folds to initially begin with and then allow it to continue to double in size without many folds. This dough is very forgiving, particularly in cooler temperatures. But be mindful and keep a careful watch if you decide to make this focaccia in warm temperatures - the rise and proving times will significantly alter.
Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a parchment paper lined baking sheet or a roasting tin (if you’re looking for a taller focaccia).
Press your fingers into the focaccia to help it stretch while making the signature dimples in the dough. Sprinkle with sea salt, olive oil and any toppings you’d like. Bake at 450 F / 230 C for about 25/30 minutes. Allow to cool, slice and enjoy!
Until next time at a standing reservation…
With love & snacks,
Paige
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Need a happy moment?
There’s a villa and park by Gianluca’s house in Rome that I often go to walk and sit, enjoying the sunshine. This woman on the park bench in the photo had the same idea. She waited until I moved from this position as it’s the spot in the park where you can take direct sunshine. We had the same idea, just a few generations separate us.
Loveeeee the photography and yayyy for the new flat!!!! Congrats! Can’t wait to see the new digs 🙏🏼