After seeing the photos of our Mother's Day celebration, several people asked for my focaccia bread recipe. I'm pleased to be finally publishing it and apologize for the delay. I will put my little extra comments in brackets.
For the bread dough:
¾ oz fresh yeast
1 1/3-1 ½ cups lukewarm water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 cups unbleached white bread flour [This is usually too much flour. I have found that starting with about 4 cups of flour and slowly adding additional flour during the kneading stage works well. Aim for a stiff but not dry dough. If you live in a more humid climate than I do, though, this might not be a problem.]
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage [or other fresh herb, or ½ tablespoon of a dried herb]
For the topping:
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
12 fresh sage leaves [or substitute herbs]
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
12 fresh sage leaves [or substitute herbs]
~Lightly oil 2 ten inch cake pans.
~Whisk the yeast into the lukewarm water until it is dissolved. Stir in the olive oil.
~Mix the four, salt, and herbs together in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix to form a soft dough.
~Knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. [I usually knead it in the bowl, though many people turn the dough out onto a floured surface. This is the step where I gradually add flour.]
~Cover the bread bowl, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-1 ½ hours until the dough has doubled in size.
~Punch down the dough. Knead it a few times and divide it into two equally sized pieces.
~Form each piece into a ball and then roll them out on a lightly floured surface into 10 inch circles. Place the circles in the prepared cake pans. [Or greased cookie sheets.]
~Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
~Uncover the bread, and poke through the dough with your fingers, making deep dimples all over the bread.
~Drizzle the topping olive oil over the breads, then sprinkle each one evenly with garlic. Evenly distribute the herbs too.
~Re-cover the bread and let it rise for 20-30 minutes more.
~While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
~ Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes until they are golden.
~Immediately remove the focaccia from the pans and transfer them to a wire rack.
~Enjoy! (The bread is best served warm.)
~Whisk the yeast into the lukewarm water until it is dissolved. Stir in the olive oil.
~Mix the four, salt, and herbs together in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix to form a soft dough.
~Knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. [I usually knead it in the bowl, though many people turn the dough out onto a floured surface. This is the step where I gradually add flour.]
~Cover the bread bowl, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-1 ½ hours until the dough has doubled in size.
~Punch down the dough. Knead it a few times and divide it into two equally sized pieces.
~Form each piece into a ball and then roll them out on a lightly floured surface into 10 inch circles. Place the circles in the prepared cake pans. [Or greased cookie sheets.]
~Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
~Uncover the bread, and poke through the dough with your fingers, making deep dimples all over the bread.
~Drizzle the topping olive oil over the breads, then sprinkle each one evenly with garlic. Evenly distribute the herbs too.
~Re-cover the bread and let it rise for 20-30 minutes more.
~While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
~ Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes until they are golden.
~Immediately remove the focaccia from the pans and transfer them to a wire rack.
~Enjoy! (The bread is best served warm.)
2 comments:
Yeah! Thanks for posting this. I can't wait to try it!
looks like really awesome bread!
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