Another day, another Italian recipe! I've been at home all break, so I think with my mom making all her traditional Italian food, I haven't even been able to help myself. First, lentil soup, then Baci di Dama. And today, focaccia bread! If you've never had this glorious deliciousness before, let me just start off by saying that you have totally been missing out! Focaccia is basically naked pizza dough, traditionally topped with plenty of olive oil, coarse salt, and whatever else you'd like! I went the classic route, with fresh rosemary, but some other delicious choices include olives {bonus points if they are Italian green olives}, caramelized onions, or baby tomatoes & oregano. Focaccia is amazing no matter what you put on it!
Looking through the recipe, I know it seems complicated, but it's honestly just a LOT of waiting in-between rises! It might seem excessive to allow the dough to rise like, four separate times, but trust me when I say you will be richly rewarded for your patience with perfectly airy, chewy-in-the-middle and crisp-on-the-edges dough. Total perfection! Don't be afraid of the olive oil in this, either... it seems like a lot, but the end product isn't greasy at all! It's just perfectly moist and not dry in any way, shape, or form, which is what sets it apart from regular pizza crust. When I was a child, the soft, doughy indentations full of olive oil were my most favorite part! You can eat this perfection as-is, or it's delicious as a base for open-faced sandwiches! My personal favorite is a little slice of prosciutto, but you can top this with whatever you wish. Good luck and happy baking! <3
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for topping
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 packet {2¼ tsp} dry yeast
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- coarse salt, for topping
- First, stir together the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl, and allow yeast to bloom and foam.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Make a well in the center, pour in the water and yeast mixture and the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Mix together until a soft, sticky dough forms, adding flour if it's overly wet.
- Lightly flour a clean surface and dump the dough onto it; knead until the dough is smooth, soft, and no longer sticks to your hands, but it should NOT be hard or dry! Form a ball, cover lightly with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 10-15 minutes.
- After the first rise, shape it into a rough rectangle. Grab a jelly-roll pan or cookie pan, generously oil it, then place the dough on it.
- Drizzle a bit more oil on top of the dough, then place your pan in a turned-off oven with the lights on {this creates just a tiny bit of heat, allowing the dough to rise better}. Let the dough rise for 40-60 minutes, until it has at least doubled in size. If it looks dry during the rise, spray the surface with a bit of water.
- At this point, remove it from the oven, and using your hands, press on the surface and push the dough towards the edges of the pan, being careful to not PULL the dough and tear it. It seems weird, but this will ensure puffy, airy, delicious dough! Sprinkle the surface with a bit of coarse salt, then return the pan to the cold oven for another 30-40 minutes for another rise.
- After dough has doubled in size again, pour a tiny bit of warm water {about 2 tbsp} on the surface of the dough, drizzle more oil on the surface, and using your fingertips, create deep indentations all over the surface of the dough. Stick the pan back in the oven for another 60 minute rise {this is the last one, I promise!}
- When ready to bake, remove the pan from the oven and preheat oven to 475F. Sprinkle the surface with rosemary, if desired, and bake for 15-20 minutes, checking often, until the surface is lightly golden and a bit crisp, but still mostly soft. Let cool slightly, and enjoy!
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
This focaccia looks delicious! There's a King Arthur Flour recipe I use for making sandwiches. Next time I'll try this one - love the rosemary addition 🙂