foccacia bread

Foccacia bread is one of my favourite breads to make and there have not been very many occasions where I have entertained and I haven't produced a couple of loaves.  I like it because it is easy and tastes so good .

4 cups of all purpose flour
1 package of dried yeast or about a 2" cube of fresh
1 1/2 to 2 cups of water
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt

mix the yeast sugar and 1/2 the water together and leave for a few minutes until some bubbles start to form, this shows that the yeast is alive.

Place the flour and the yeast mixture along with the olive oil and salt in to a food processer.

Ready to process

Pulse and add water until the dough comes together in one lump then process for 1 minute.  You can do this by hand, which I often do, but when cooking for a crowd this saves time and does not effect the finished result.

Fully processed

The dough will be all in one lump and quite soft.  Turn in to a bowl which has olive oil smeared on it, cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise until it is about doubled.

Waiting to rise

Now it is double

Empty the dough out on to a counter and shape it with your hands in to two large oblong shapes and put each one on to a cookie sheet on which you have sprinkled corn meal or olive oil. Push your fingers in to the dough to form dimples then sprinkle with olive oil and a course salt.  I really like Malden salt as it is flaky and not too salty.

Turn on the oven to 400 and let the bread rise while it warms up.

Ready for the oven

Put the bread in the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tab the bottom.

Cut in to chunks and serve with a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.  I have some lemon olive oil that I bought in the restaurant on the Amalfi Coast that had the wonderful pizza, So I am going to serve that for my Christmas party.  These are the things that really make me happy.

This one has fresh rosemary pushed in to it.