Bread is a staple in many different countries around the world. It is used to make so many different unique dishes in each and every culture and there are so many different ways to make it. But in this blog, I’ll be taking a look at a recipe for a popular Italian-style bread, focaccia.
Ever since I discovered focaccia and made it for the first time, I’ve been making it time and time again. I’ve seen so many different ways to make it on social media that it is never a dull moment making it because every time it will be different. But for this recipe, it is just a simple loaf of focaccia topped with a rosemary and sea salt garnish.
Now a lot of people may be intimidated by a bread recipe because it can sometimes be difficult to get everything right, and it can also be time consuming, but once you actually make bread dough on your own for the first time, you’ll be able to do it over and over again with no direction because of how simple it is.
The first thing you need to do for this recipe is mix warm water (90-110 degrees), and sugar in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved (you can also use honey as a substitute for the sugar if you want to be more sophisticated). Then you want to add your yeast to the mixture and let it sit for 8-10 minutes until the whole thing appears foamy and fermented. This lets the yeast consume the glucose it needs in order for it to activate and do its part in making the dough.
As soon as the yeast is fermented, attach your bowl to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or use a hand-held mixer to mix the fermentation on low speed and add your flour in slowly until it is all combined into a big wad of dough, then add your olive oil, salt and any other add-ins you want.
When the dough is in its final form, it’s time to knead it. It is best to lube either your hands or the dough itself in some kind of oil, preferably olive oil, because the dough is going to be extremely sticky. Once you have kneaded it for about five minutes, it’s time to let the dough rise. In a traditional focaccia recipe, the dough is supposed to be given 24 hours to rise, but if you’re like me and too eager to wait that long, this recipe is perfect because it only calls for the dough to be given 55 minutes to an hour to rise. Leave your dough in the bowl, lay a moist towel over the top, and leave it in a warm area in your kitchen. The best area in your kitchen for this would be on the stove top.
When your dough is finished rising, it should have doubled in size and look like a giant dome. Punch down on the dough, lightly or aggressively, to get the air out of it. For focaccia you can make the bread into any shape you like whether it is in the form of a loaf or the form of a dome, but for this recipe the bread is going to be in the traditional focaccia shape of a rectangle. You can use a rectangular shaped pan suitable for baking bread of any length or width depending on the amount of dough you have. Grease the pan in any sort of oil, but olive oil is probably the best for this recipe, and flatten the dough into the pan.
When your dough is in the pan, cover the top of it with a moist towel, leave it in a warm area, and let the dough rise again for 20 minutes. Once your dough is finished rising, dimple the dough with your finger to create bubbles. Top it with your rosemary and seal salt ( you can top it with whatever you like if you don’t want to), as well as a drizzle of olive oil, and put it in the oven which should be heated to 425 degrees and let it bake for 25 minutes until it is golden brown.
This bread isn’t your average bread. Its crust almost always turns out crispy and flaky and oily. The olive oil alone enhances its flavor so much, making it rich. Even with only salt and rosemary as the special ingredients, the bread is delicious and flavorful. This has to be one of my favorite recipes because it is so easy yet fun to make and the results never ever disappoint. For this final recipe of the year, I give it a solid 10/10.
