Sunday

Fresh and yummy Focaccia bread recipe

Have you ever made Focaccia (foe-CAH-cha)? If no, have you ever eaten it and wished that you could make it? Here is an easy recipe! 
bread recipeFocaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread. It is simply baked dough topped with olive oil and a simple herb like rosemary or sage, salted with coarse salt. It is very popular as a snack in Italy and school children will often purchase a slice from a baker on the way to school, to enjoy at break time.

My family loves this bread. We love to dip it in a small mixture of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, cracked pepper and sometimes parmesan cheese. It is great to eat with a pasta dish too! bread recipesbread recipe
First step is to make the Dough
 
2 c. lukewarm water (85-95 F)
1 pkg Active Dry Yeast or 2 tsp.
4 c. Bread flour
2 tsp. Salt

Measure water into a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the water and stir until dissolved. Stir in flour and salt. Stir with wooden spoon for 2-4 min. until dough just pulls away from the bowl and the flour is incorporated. You can do this entire step in your Kitchen Aid as well.
The dough will be fairly wet and tacky (sticky) but is done if it pulls away from sides of the bowl into a loose ball. If it seems too sticky stir in an additional 1/4-1/2 c. flour. I did have to do that. Once the dough is mixed, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume. For this dough that would be about 30-40 min.
FocacciaOnce you make the dough you can wrap it and just put it in the fridge until the next day. It will rise in the refrigerator and acquire a different flavor with a slower rising yeast. Remove the dough, keep covered and let rise 2 hours before time to bake.


BAKING

3-5 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, red onion sliced very thin, kosher or sea salt

Pre Heat oven 500 F and lightly oil (with olive oil) two nonstick 13X18 baking sheets (or whatever you have on hand). Pour dough out on the sheets evenly. You can leave bread to bake as you have put it on the baking sheet or spread it out to about 1-inch thick which is what I did.
bread recipeFocacciaNext step is to brush with olive oil and use your fingers to make indentations all over the dough. This is to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread during baking. You then brush on more olive oil. This is what gives the bread a yummy Italian flavor and keeps it moist. You at sprinkle on rosemary, sage, red onions, onion powder or garlic powder at this time. I then drizzle on more olive oil.Focacciabread recipeAfter shaping and putting on toppings lower oven to 450 F and put the breads in the oven. Bake 15-20 min until it has a light golden color mixed with a little darker brown around the edges and on top. Cool on a wire rack. 

Cut or break into rectangles and triangles. Yummy!bread recipesbread recipesThis bread can also be used as sandwich bread or buns. Form into the shape or thickness you want before cooking. It can also be used as a pizza crust. Have fun with it! So easy and yummy. When I have leftover after 2 days I turn the leftovers into bread crumbs!

Click over and check out my Spinach Artichoke Focaccia! It is DELISH!

9 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness that looks fabulous!! I just love focaccia bread. I will definitely be trying out this recipe. I'll finally be able to get my sourdough bread made tomorrow, after a rather delayed start to the week.

    Thanks so much for the idea and for joining in. There are some great recipes and posts. :D

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  2. Your bread looks sooo good. Found you on twitter hope you will stop by and check out my blog.

    http://ehaggins.blogspot.com

    Also I am excited to be hosting my first giveaway hope you will check it out and possibly enter.
    Happy Cinco De Mayo

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  3. Thanks for the comments! I have not made this in awhile! I think if it cools down a bit this weekend I'm going to fire up the oven and make some for sandwiches!

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  4. I love this type of bread. I usually buy it whenever I find it at different bakeries. Now I think I'll try to make it myself. Thanks.

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  5. I commented on this post but now I don't see it...so here it is again. Sorry if it duplicates. I love this type of bread and usually buy it at bakeries when I see it. Now I will try to make it myself.

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  6. This looks beautiful! I'd always heard that you need a stand mixer to make focaccia bread, because the dough is so wet. You were able to knead it by hand? Maybe I'll give it a try!

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  7. I love the texture of your recipe. I like the way you have described the making techniques of it. Nice recipe.

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  8. Recipe looks great. I fell in love with focaccia bread when I had it on a sandwich at a local restaurant. When you say you can mix it all in your Kitchenaid...do you mean a mixer or a food processor?

    ReplyDelete

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