Focaccia Bread with Rosemary


Rosemary Focaccia

Have you ever made your own focaccia bread?

I’m not much of a yeast-bread baker, but I’ve been curious about this Italian bread for years. We use it often for sandwiches; it’s filled with the flavor of olive oil, soft and sturdy at the same time, and dimpled all over.

Well, if you too have been curious about making focaccia, I’m here to strongly suggest that you try it! Hank taught me how to make it and believe me, this bread is seriously good.

Yes, it takes the good part of the day to make (but most of that time goes to just waiting for the dough to rise, thrice). And if you’re lazy like me, or with embarrassingly out-of-shape biceps (also like me), you can easily mix and knead the whole thing in an electric mixer.

So it’s easy. No excuses kimosabe.

This rosemary focaccia bread is so good that even though the recipe makes enough for a platoon, I’m pretty sure I could eat the whole thing.

I literally had to force myself to give much of the last batch away, to parents, neighbors, anyone within reach with an appetite. Purely selfish motives that was, to save myself from an embarrassing chat with the scale.


Focaccia Bread with Rosemary Recipe

This recipe makes enough dough for 2 good-sized loaves. Or you can do what we've done, which is take 2/3 of the dough and bake it in a 9x15-inch baking pan, and the remaining third of the dough free-form on a baking sheet.

You can make it all in free-form loaves that look like puffy pizzas, or shape them into casseroles or cake pans – there are no absolutes on the shape of this bread.

The bread takes on the flavor of the olive oil so use a good quality one.

Like most breads, this focaccia freezes well. You can also slice several day old focaccia bread and toast it, serving it with butter and/or honey.

Ingredients

  • 1 package dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup warm water, about 100 degrees
  • 2 1/4 cups tepid water
  • 2 Tbsp good quality olive oil, plus more for the pan and to paint on top of the bread
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp salt, plus coarse salt (fleur de sel if you have it, otherwise Kosher salt) for sprinkling over the top
  • 2-3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (can use sage or other herbs such as thyme or oregano, but whatever herb you use, do use fresh herbs, do not use dried)


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