The "It" of "It" Breads

How Meira Bennett of Gotcha Focaccia innovated a classic ahead of the trend

Gotcha’s packaging is just as pretty as what’s inside!

There’s a lot of focaccia happening in New York City right now, and I’ve tried a good deal of it. But when I sampled Meira Bennett’s homemade focaccia at The Pancake Princess Brownie Bake-Off event, I knew she was doing something singular and that I wanted more of it. Her catchily named brand, Gotcha Focaccia was only established two years ago, but its origin story spans more than a decade. “I grew up baking and I grew up very Jewish, so we were making challah with my family and friends,” she tells me. “I had the run of the kitchen, so I started to experiment with different baking projects. Once I moved onto bread, focaccia just really grabbed me because it’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s versatile.” Bennett began bringing her focaccia to parties in lieu of alcohol (I was quick to share that I’d choose bread over wine, too, if given the choice) and was simultaneously perfecting her recipe. As she became better known for her spongey loaves, she was also bettering her process.