Tuesday, June 07, 2005

So, today I shall wax domestic and share a recipe that I often get requests for:

Quick and Easy Focaccia

2 c lukewarm water
2 t active dry yeast
4 c unbleached bread flour
2-3 t salt

Measure water into a large bowl, stir in yeast. Stir in two cups of flour and the salt, stir until smooth. Stir in the rest of the flour, stir until dough pulls away from the sides into a loose ball. Will be fairly wet and tacky. If you can't get a loose ball, add a bit more flour.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap, let rise for 30 - 40 minutes until doubled.

Oil a nonstick backing sheet. (I use my Pampered Chef rectangular baker.)

Pour dough onto sheet. Then pour some olive oil into a little bowl, dip your fingers into the oil, and push/pull/make indents until you have a one inch thick oval of dough with lots of dimples. Top should be good and oily.

You can sprinkle the top with seasalt, fresh chopped rosemary, herbes de provence, basil, or whatever you want.

Let it rise another 10-15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

Actual active work time required is about 5 - 10 minutes, and from start to finish it is a little over an hour. Always a hit at our house, and you can actually decide an hour before dinner that you would like to have some fresh bread with it. Try that with any other yeast bread recipe! :-)
One recipe is enough for our family of five.

posted by Birgit
0 comments at 4:59 PM