Homemade Focaccia

Ya baby, homemade focaccia bread!  Do not fear, do not worry.  I am privy to the horror stories of those who have attempted to make homemade focaccia bread, only to have it end in disaster, and swear off baking bread forever.  Heaven only knows that when it comes to yeast breads, I just can't figure out what is going on.

Well, that's all over, my friends.  Ya, that's right.  I have found a recipe for making some of the best focaccia bread I have ever had!  I mean this stuff is really bomb.  My fiance likes it, the folks at work totally dig it, so we must be on to something. 

OK, lets have a quick look at the origins and background of focaccia:

Focaccia is a flat oven-baked bread, usually topped with other ingredients or herbs.  It is closely related to pizza, but not quite the same.
Focaccia is quite popular in Italy, and usually seasoned with olive oil and herbs like rosemary or sage and topped with course sea salt.  School children in Italy will often purchase a slice from a baker on the way to school to be enjoyed at break time. 
A common practice when baking focaccia is the dotting of the bread.  This creates multiple wells in the bread by using a finger or utensil to poke the unbaked dough.  Olive oil is then spread over the dough to preserve the dough's moisture.  In some northern parts of Italy, lard is added to the dough to give it a flakier texture (did not do it with this one and it came out great).
Focaccia can be used as a side to many meals, as a pizza base, or as sandwich bread.

Alright, let get down to the real nitty gritty:

Recipe originally found on: Tracey's Culinary Adventures blog

What you need to do the deed:
-1 1/2 cups warm water
-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling and coating dish)
-1 1/4 teaspoons salt
-3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
-1 tablespoon instant yeast
-4 teaspoons Italian seasoning mix
-1 9x13 baking dish

Here's the deed so you can proceed:
-Rub a 13 x 9 pan with olive oil then drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the bottom of the pan.


-One important step that is often overlooked is the "proofing" of you yeast.  Place your yeast in the 1 1/2 cups of warm watter, whisk to dissolve, then let sit for about 8-10 minutes until the mixture begins to look creamy.

-Place the proofed yeast water, olive oil, salt, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. The dough will be smooth, elastic and sticky.

-Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan. With oil or water on the tip of your fingers (don't use more flour, you want the dough to remain sticky), press the dough into the bottom of the pan, nudging to get it all the way into the corners. Cover the pan and let the dough rise for about 60 minutes in a nice warm spot, or until it is puffy and has risen about another half inch or so.

-While the dough rises, preheat oven to 375 F. A good idea might be to place the rising dough on top of the preheating oven where it is nice and warm.

-Once risen, uncover the pan and use your fingers to make dimples/wells all over the dough (you may need a bit of oil on your fingers if the dough is too sticky). Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle it with the Italian seasoning.  I used an Italian seasoning grinder I had on hand.

-Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then turn the focaccia out of the pan (otherwise the bottom crust will get soggy). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yup, I know it looks like "babytown frolics" (too easy to be true), but I swear, and as you can see by the photos, that is is the real deal for tasty and easy focaccia.  This recipe and the easy process has certainly boosted my confidence in the bread-baking arena and will do the same for you.  Now get out there and do it!  Make a panini sandwich with it, make pizza like I plan to, eat it with olive oil or pasta!  Your taste buds will high-five you.....uh....if they had hands.

 

Keep on eating, my friends.

 

-Chris