by Joy Hirdes
Contributing writer
This Focaccia Bread is a basic Italian Focaccia Bread from Genoa, Italy, however, it turned into a feast when we paired it with an assortment of hard cheese, an Italian red wine and the most delicious herb infused oil for dipping.
I promise you it will bring any meal to the next level and I can’t wait to add herbs and such to the dough of my next few batches!
Before you even begin to bake this amazing dipping bread, have some time set aside, or errands to run or workouts to do, because you will have the time in between risings of the dough.
What you’ll need to make one large focaccia loaf –
1 envelope (2 1/2 teaspoons) dry active yeast, preferably Hodgsen Mill Active Dry Yeast
6 to 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups unbleached white bread flour
3 teaspoons course sea salt — one to add to dough mixture and 2 for sprinkling atop loaf before baking
A large, rectangle roasting pan, I used a 9 x 13 roasting pan
I used my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and added the packet of yeast, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and one half cup of lukewarm water.
Allow this to foam up for at least 10 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of cool water and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
With the dough hook attachment, or this can also be done by hand, slowly add the bread flour mixture and a teaspoon of course sea salt to the yeast mixture to form a nice soft dough.
Now add the rest of the water, 1/4 cup and the rest of the olive oil, 4 tablespoons.
Scrape down sides of bowl, if necessary.
Let the dough hook do the work for you for 10 minutes. If kneading by hand, that’s 10 minutes.
Return the dough ball to an oiled bowl, turning once to oil both sides, cover and let rise at room temperature, away from drafts, for 2 hours.
Now, punch down dough and remove from bowl. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and easily just shape with a rolling pin into a rectangle for your roasting pan. Now place the dough into your oiled roasting pan and pat into corners.
Cover with a damp cloth or dish towel and let rise at room temperature, away from drafts, for 45 to 60 minutes.
Now dimple the dough by pressing your fingers into it firmly. Cover again and let rise for another hour to an hour and half.
I told you, have errands or exercise to do in between rises.
During the last 15 minutes of this final phase, it’s time to preheat the oven. Hooray! – to 425 degrees.
Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil over the dough, filling the dimples, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of course sea salt.
Place in oven, spray oven sides with a mister or sprayer with water, avoid the light bulb, and this will help produce a good, moist bread.
Bake for five minutes and mist the oven again.
Bake 20 minutes longer or until your focaccia is golden brown.
The loaf really is worth all of this, I promise you that!
foodieforone 