In Bangladesh, bread is often treated as something predictable. A sliced loaf for breakfast, toast with tea, perhaps a burger bun, or a dinner roll. For chef Infiter Islam, however, bread can be much more than a supporting item on the table.

Her interest in bread began at home.

“My family is very health-conscious. They do not eat outside food. So, they eat everything homemade,” says Islam.

That interest became more serious when she attended culinary school in Dubai, graduating at the end of 2024. There, she noticed how central bread was to culinary training and food culture.

“Everywhere bread is a main thing. Everywhere else except Bangladesh,” she says.

More than a plain loaf

Focaccia, the Italian flatbread known for its airy crumb, dimpled surface and generous use of olive oil, offers plenty of room for experimentation. Islam is especially drawn to that versatility.

She uses ingredients such as jalapeño, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, olives, black garlic and sea salt, turning a simple dough into something that can work across different meals.

“You can pair it with many things, like sandwiches, high tea, or just tea. You can have it with anything,” she says.

She also serves it with accompaniments she prepares herself, including an Italian-style tomato purée and basil sauce. For Islam, successful experimentation begins with understanding the dough. Toppings can vary widely, but moisture matters.

“You can use anything you want. It’s totally up to you. But it has to be dry things. If you use wet items, the dough becomes soft.”

It is a useful lesson for home bakers. Ingredients that release too much moisture can affect the texture and structure of focaccia, while herbs, olives and sun-dried vegetables can add flavour without overwhelming the dough.

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Looking beyond white bread

Infiter believes Bangladeshi diners could be more adventurous with bread.

“There are a lot of breads with many different flavours and seeds. Multigrain, I think, is not that common in Bangladesh yet,” she says. She also points to sourdough, which is increasingly familiar to urban diners but still less widely available than conventional sliced loaves.

Focaccia, in that sense, can be an approachable introduction to a broader bread culture. It is easy to pair with familiar foods while offering enough flexibility for different toppings and flavour combinations.

Islam also prefers focaccia for its use of olive oil and herbs. While she mentions its carbohydrate content compared with other breads, the nutritional profile of any focaccia depends on the flour, recipe, portion size, and toppings used.

Cooking as experimentation

Islam’s relationship with cooking goes back to her teenage years, and experimentation remains central to her approach. “I like to do fusions, you know, mixing European or Italian or something like that with Bangladeshi dishes,” she says.

That interest in fusion is something she hopes to explore further, combining international techniques with Bangladeshi flavours. Bread-making, meanwhile, has taught her that simple-looking food can demand considerable effort.

“It’s an exercise for you. If you’re making bread, it’s an exercise for you,” she says. “It’s a hard job to make bread. Your hands get sore a lot.” Looking ahead, Islam hopes to open her own bakery and is also open to holding bread-making workshops for children and other interested learners.

For her, focaccia is more than a recipe. It is a way to show that bread does not have to be limited to the familiar loaf. With good ingredients, technique and a willingness to experiment, something as basic as dough can become a much more interesting part of the table.

Follow chef Infiter Islam on Instagram: @mise_chef