All About BOSCH (hint…they rock!)
I’m at the Phoenix airport, about to head home from a fabulous three days in Scottsdale. Before my trip, I knew pretty much nothing about German-based company BOSCH. The first time I’d even heard of them was when I was asked to attend their BOSCH Kitchen Re-Engineered Event, a three-day whirlwind trip to Scottsdale where we’d drink great wine, eat a lot of fabulous food and learn all there is to learn about BOSCH and their history, their appliances and the reasons behind all those awards.
I love attending these blogger events; it’s one of the best perks about being a blogger. I *almost* didn’t attend this one just because I’d never heard of the company and wasn’t certain there would be enough payoff. I’m glad I did, though, because as it turns out I learned a lot about some things that I never knew I needed to learn about.
My favorite part of the event – even more than the food and wine, if you can believe that – was learning about Robert Bosch himself. I love history, especially American history and anything having to do with WWII, so I could have sat there all day and learned about this great man and how he started his company from humble beginnings and became one of the greatest German inventors in history. He was one of the few men during WWII who had enough clout to stand up to Hitler and not feel the repercussions. And this was all due to the fact that Robert Bosch was such a great man and so well revered by the German people that Hitler knew if he opposed him the people of Germany would see his true side. Amazing…and I was truly inspired. So much so that I’ve already ordered this book about his life and achievements.
Most of the event was just plain fun, with appetizers and drinks in the grotto and amazing dinners with live music. But there was some “work” involved, too…we had to cook our own lunch using and testing their fabulous convection ovens and induction stovetops. I know…can you believe all the hard work they put us through? And to top it all off, we had a film crew there documenting our ever move. That’s currently in editing but will be available soon and I’ll be sure to post it!
I made foccacia bread with Tech Savvy Mama (omg, she’s an upbeat and superfun person!) and we had a blast. Chef Brad (he has a show on BYU TV and it’s so worth the watch) helped us out, too, so it was pretty easy. I chose the bread because, as you may know, I don’t do breads. I love to eat them but I’m just not into the whole bread making thing. So of course I had to challenge myself, at least a little bit. This was, after all, work.
I went to the event not knowing anything about Bosch and I left a huge fan. I’ll definitely be sharing more highlights from the trip, including my favorite kitchen appliances and even some interesting (<—-yes, interesting!!) facts about dishwashers. But for now, let me simply leave you with this delicious recipe for focaccia bread. It’s much easier to make than you’d think!
Cheers!
We used the BOSCH 800 Series Oven on Pizza Mode with a Pizza Stone
Dough:
- 1 cup water (90º -110º)
- 1½ tsp. Kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp. dry yeast
- ¼ cup snipped rosemary (our rosemary was sprinkled on top, not put in the dough)
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2½ -2¾ cups bread flour
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Topping:
- 1 Tbsp. + ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup whole, medium black olives, drained (we didn’t use olives but I’m sure it’s pretty tasty)
- ½ medium onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings (I was worried about the onions tasting a bit too raw, but they were good. I still think I’d caramelize them first though, but I could eat caramelized onions like candy, so it’s up to you!)
- Combine water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl; stir with a fork until yeast is dissolved. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
- Place 2½ cups of the flour and remaining dough ingredients in a bowl of an electric mixer. Add liquid ingredients. Mix with dough hook attachment on #2 speed for 5 minutes. Add additional flour if dough is sticky when touched. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning dough over so that oiled side is on top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1-1½ hours.
- Oil a 15” x 10” non-stick jelly roll pan with 1 Tbsp. oil. Oil hands and press dough into pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Preheat Bosch oven on Pizza Mode set at 425º.
- When dough is slightly puffy, sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Lightly smash each olive between fingers and press down into dough. Toss onion rings with remaining ¼ cup oil and press into dough firmly, making sure to distribute rings evenly. Bake on the pizza stone for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
I got to meet YOU. That itself made that trip a win.
Teared up just reading that, Mr Lady. You're my sister for sure. What a gem.
As a 15 year veteran of Bosch Engineering (power tools, not appliances), I am proud. Uncle Bobby, as we call him, was the man, period. I enjoyed the blog post, thanks for sharing.
Now there's a great comment :-) If there's one thing I took away from the event, it's that the employees of Bosch are proud to represent their company. A rare and awesome thing to see!
Great post!!! I love it…and I love YOU! So glad I got to meet you…you must call when you come to the OC :)
Girl, I love you crazy!! I will definitely call…and vice versa if you make it out to DC!
Sounds like an amazing experience!
It really was! Thanks for taking the time to leave a note :-) Always appreciated!
My first time here and I love it!
I'm really glad I got to read this article. You offer a lot of great unique content on this site, it definitely makes it a pleasure to read. I found the history of this company to be just as interesting (if not more interesting) than the actual details of the event. It's always cool to see humble beginnings like this, and to have it take place during Hitler's rise to power makes it even more compelling as a story. I have some food fanatic friends, and I will definitely direct that book their way. It's very cool to hear about your experience at this event!