Fabulous Focaccia
Don't you just love saying, "focaccia"? There is nothing more delightful than fresh out of the oven, gorgeously garlicky and herby focaccia. Yummy.Garlicky and Herby Focaccia ♡. Delectably soft and perfect for dunking in anything saucy. Sprinkled with lots of fresh rosemary and crunchy sea salt. Drizzled with extra olive oil and crushed garlic. And how satisfying is it to poke those deep beautiful holes for all that delicious olive oil? You can easily make it by hand, or even easier with the help of a stand mixer. It's also vegan and can be shaped into whatever shape your heart desires. Perfect for those chilly evenings, it's the ultimate comfort food.Don't let the yeast scare you off from making this gem. You're going to love it. This recipe is a great starter recipe for those who are new to yeast.So where did focaccia originate from? Historians generally agree that it was either made by the Etruscans in north central Italy sometime before the Roman Empire came to be or by Ancient Greeks around the turn of the first millennium BC.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer optional
Ingredients
- ❀ 1 ⅓ Cups Warm water.
- ❀ 2tsp Sugar or honey.
- ❀ 1 x 0.25oz 7g or 2 ¼ tsp Active dry yeast.
- ❀ 3 ½ Cups Flour.
- ❀ ¼ Cups Olive oil plus extra for drizzling.
- ❀ Flaky sea salt some to mix into the bread dough, plus extra for sprinkling.
- ❀ Fresh rosemary.
Instructions
- To activate the yeast, dissolve the sugar in the warm water (the water should be 110°F/ 43°C). Then add the yeast. Give it a quick stir, cover, and leave to activate. Between 5-10 minutes).
- Once the yeast has proved in the warm water and sugar (it should look frothy). Gradually add in the flour, olive oil and salt.
- Then knead for 5 minutes using the dough attachment on a stand mixer or knead the dough by hand.
- First dough rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased mixing bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest in a warm location for 45-60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
- Second dough rise. Shape the dough into a large circle or rectangle so that the dough is about ½ inch thick. Cover with the damp towel and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
- Prepare the dough. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered or oiled baking sheet (or press it into a 9 x 13inch (23cmx33cm) baking dish).
- Use your fingers to poke deep dents ~ really deep. Press all the way down until you touch the baking sheet ~ all over the surface of the dough. Then drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil with a clove of crushed garlic in it over the top of the dough, and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary leaves and sea salt.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Slice and serve warm.
Notes
Don't have a stand mixer? No problem! Just make it in a large mixing bowl. Once the yeast has proved gradually stir in the flour, olive oil, and salt until a rough dough starts to form. Once the dough has formed then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes until smooth, adding extra flour if the dough feels sticky, and continue with the recipe as above.
You Could Also Try:
Want to switch things up? Give these ideas a try for something different.
• Add the crushed garlic into the dough to give it some extra garlicky flavor.
• Before popping it in the oven sprinkle some Parmesan on top.
• There are loads of different fresh herbs, for example, tarragon or sage or even a mix.
• If you don't have fresh herbs, you can always use dried herbs instead (such as dried rosemary or Italian seasoning). If you do, I recommend adding it in at the same time as the flour and kneading it into the dough itself rather than sprinkling it on top.
• Or how about adding some pre-roasted Mediterranean veggies to the top of the bread before baking?
• Caramelized onions.
• Olives.
• Crumble blue cheese over the top.