Rosemary Focaccia

Here’s a good one. I went through a phase that I wasn’t going to eat ‘white bread’ unless I made it myself. Of course, I was thinking that this would be a clever way for me to not eat so much ‘white bread’. And it worked…for a little while (lol)…and then I found and perfected this recipe for the best focaccia! Oh, and then there’s the smell of baking fresh bread wafting from our family kitchen oven. There is nothing else quite like it!!

Rosemary Focaccia Recipe

Special Notes:

1. Working with yeast - the trick here is to get a thermometer. I’ve found the relying on the fell of the water to my touch is not that great because if the water is too hat, it seems to kill the yeast and if the water is too cool, the yeast doesn’t get activated. So, making certain that in Step one, the water temperature is between 105 - 115 degrees F is very important. (The first loaves of bread I ever made smelled wonderful but had the weight and consistency of a brick. My family, bless their hearts, were super supportive of my attempt but I quickly figured out where I’d gotten the recipe wrong - the water temperature.)

2. The packet of Active Dry Yeast - read the stamp on the back of the packet to make certain it hasn’t expired. Expired yeast often won’t activate and rise your bread.

Ingredients:

Sponge

• 2 1/5 tsp (1 Package) Active Dry Yeast

• 2/3c warm water, 105 - 115 degrees F

• 1c all-purpose flour

  Dough

• 1/2c water, room temperature

• 1/3c dry white wine

• 1/3c light olive oil

• Sponge, from above

• 2 1/2c all-purpose flour

• 2tsp salt

  Topping

• Extra olive oil for drizzling on top before baking

• 2tsp crumbled dried rosemary

• 2tsp kosher salt

Instructions:

1. To make Sponge:

   1. Sprinkle yeast over the warm water in a large mixer bowl, whisk it in, and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes

   2. Stir in the 1c of flour and beat until smooth.

   3. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

2. To make the Dough:

   1. To the sponge above, add the water, wine, olive oil, remaining flour and salt.

   2. With paddle attachment, mix until the dough comes together while remaining very soft.

   3. Change to the dough hook and knead for 3 minutes at medium speed, stopping once or twice to press the dough into a ball to aid the kneading.

   4. Use 1 - tbsp extra flour and briefly knead dough on warm kitchen counter.

3. First Rise:

   1. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.

   2. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap.

   3. Place in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

4. Shaping and Second Rise

   1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

   2. The dough should be soft, full of air bubbles and stretch easily.

   3. Press it into a lightly oiled 10 1/2” X 15 1/2” pan.

   4. Dimple it well with your fingertips or knuckles.

   5. Cover with a towel and let rise in warm spot until puffy and doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Baking:

   1. Once again, dimple the top of the ‘doubled’ dough.

   2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with crushed dried rosemary and kosher salt

   3. Place pan in oven and IMMEDIATELY reduce temperature to 400 degrees F.

   4. Bake focaccia until golden…about 20 minutes.

   5. Immediately remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

   6. Serve warm or at room temperature.