Focaccia Bread With Rosemary Food

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Let stand for a few minutes.
• In a mixer, combine the flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with the paddle attachment), drizzle in the olive oil until combined with the flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined and the dough comes together in a very sticky mass.
• Form the dough into a ball, drizzle over olive oil and toss to coat the dough. Then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.
• To make focaccia, remove half the dough from the bowl (leave the rest for another time) and place on a lightly floured surface. Place the chopped rosemary on top of the dough, then very gently knead it into the dough. (Don't over knead!) Roll into a large, thin oval. Place on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle more olive oil on top of the dough, then cover with plastic wrap. Put in a draft-free/warm place for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap (the dough will be puffy) and use your fingertips to press dimples all over the surface of the dough. Drizzle the surface with more olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Cut into pieces with a pizza wheel or sharp knife. Serve immediately.

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix the yeast into one side of the flour, and the fine salt into the other side. Then mix everything together, this initial seperation prevents the salt from killing the yeast.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tbsp oil and 350-400ml lukewarm water, adding it gradually until you have a slightly sticky dough (you may not need all the water). Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until your dough is soft and less sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Oil a rectangle, shallow tin (25 x 35cm). Tip the dough onto the work surface, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples. Mix together 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp water and the flaky salt and drizzle over the bread. Push sprigs of rosemary into the dimples in the dough.
• Bake for 20 mins until golden. Whilst the bread is still hot, drizzle over 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with extra olive oil, if you like.

ROSEMARY - GARLIC FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together yeast, sugar and 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water and proof yeast for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
• Stir in 4 cup of flour, 1 tblsps of the olive oil and the salt, adding as much of the remaining flour as necessary to form a soft and slightly sticky dough.
• Transfer to a lightly-oiled bowl, turn to coat, and let rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until double in size. Knead dough down and press with lightly-oiled hands into a well-oiled 15 ½ x 10 ½ inch jelly-roll pan and let it rise, covered loosely, for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set rack in center of oven.
• Dimple dough with your fingers in places, drizzle 2 tblsps olive oil over and spread over dough; sprinkle with rosemary, garlic and sea salt.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Note: I often make up the garlic/oil/rosemary mixture one or two days ahead of time and refrigerate it. Dried oregano is also a GREAT add-in.

FOCACCIA BREAD WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Stir the yeast into the 1/3 cup of slightly warm-to-the-touch water and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, pour in 2 1/4 cups of tepid water and 2 tablespoons olive oil. After the yeast has rested for 10 minutes and has begun to froth, pour it into the water-oil mixture.
• Whisk in 2 cups of flour (either the bread flour or the all purpose, at this stage it doesn't matter which) and the tablespoon of salt. Add the rosemary. Then, cup by cup, whisk in the rest of the flour (both the bread flour and all purpose). As the mixture goes from a batter to a thick dough, you'll want to switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon. By the time you get to the last cup of flour, you will be able to work the dough with your hands. Begin to knead it in the bowl - try to incorporate all the flour stuck to the sides and bottom of the bowl as you begin kneading.
• Once the bowl is pretty clean, turn the dough out onto a board and knead it well for 8 minutes. You might need some extra flour if the dough is sticky.
• Note that a KitchenAid mixer (or some other brand of upright electric mixer) works well for the mixing and kneading of the bread dough. About the time you add the last cup of flour you'll want to switch from the standard mixer attachment to the dough hook attachment. Just knead the dough using the dough hook on low speed for 8 minutes. If after a few minutes the dough is still a little sticky, add a little sprinkling of flour to it.
• In a large clean bowl, pour in about a tablespoon of oil and put the dough on top of it. Spread the oil all over the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise (in a relatively warm spot or at room temp) for an hour and a half.
• Spread a little olive oil in your baking pan or baking sheet (will make it easier to remove the bread). Place the dough in your baking pans or form it into free-form rounds on a baking sheet. This recipe will do two nice-sized loaves or one big one and a little one. Cover the breads and set aside for another 30 minutes.
• Dimple the breads with your thumb. Push in to about the end of your thumbnail, roughly 1/2-inch. Cover again and leave it to rise for its final rise, about 2 hours.
• With 30 minutes to go before the rise finishes, preheat your oven to 400°F If you have a pizza stone put it inches.
• nce the dough has done its final rise, gently paint the top with olive oil - as much as you want. Then sprinkle the coarse salt on top from about a foot over the bread; this lets the salt spread out better on its way down and helps reduce clumps of salt.
• Put the bread in the oven. If you are doing free-form breads, put it right on the pizza stone. Bake for a total of 20-25 minutes. If you have a water spritzer bottle, spritz a little water in the oven right before you put the bread in to create steam, and then a couple of times while the bread is baking.
• When the bread comes out of the oven, turn it out onto a rack within 3-5 minutes; this way you'll keep the bottom of the bread crispy. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before eating.
• Makes a large loaf and a small loaf of 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. How much will this serve? Easily a dozen, but it's so good you might find yourself eating more than you expect.

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, 1 tablespoon rosemary and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• With a wooden spoon, stir in water and 3 tablespoons olive oil; beat mixture vigorously for 5 minutes.
• Cover bowl with a clean towel and let dough rise in a warm place, away from drafts, until doubled in size (about 40 minutes).
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and gently knead for one minute.
• Lightly oil two large baking sheets (I use baking stones).
• Divide dough in half, placing one half on each baking sheet.
• Press or roll out each to a 10-inch round.
• Cover rounds with clean towels and let rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• With finger tips, make indentions all over surface of focaccia and brush each round with 1/2 tablespoon remaining olive oil.
• Sprinkle rounds with remaining rosemary and sea salt.
• Bake 15 minutes or until golden.
• Cut in wedges and serve warm.

THE BEST ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water, and let sit 10 minutes until bubbly.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, Ts. of salt, yeast mixture and remaining water.
• Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon and then your hands.
• Transfer to a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes or until smooth.
• Place in a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and place on an oiled baking sheet, forming into an oval or circle.
• Dimple the top surface with your finger tips, and then drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Variations: Instead of the rosemary, you might add 2-3 tablespoons of fresh chopped sage to the dough with some Fresh Parmesan on top.
• Other alternatives are sliced olives, thinly sliced zucchini or thinly sliced onions.
• Such cheeses as grated Parmesan, Mozzarella, or Fontina are also good.