There’s something about spring that makes me go into baking overdrive. It might be me trying to use our oven as much as possible before it gets unbearably hot in our apartment, or it might be the thrill of using fresh fruits and herbs. Whatever it is, I will admit that it can get out of control 😉
I typically stick to baking sweet muffins, cakes, cookies, and bars, but for those of you that don’t know, Gary isn’t a huge sweets eater, and I just can’t (err…shouldn’t) eat all of those goodies by myself. So, when I decided to take on a savory, salty, and herbacious focaccia (yes, I’m going to claim that word), Gary was intrigued! I looked at dozens of recipes before I decided that I needed to use one as a guide and just wing the rest. Ratios were definitely amiss at first, but I’ve finally perfected this delicious herbed focaccia.
I always thought that bread baking required a huge time commitment, but this dough comes together in less than 15 minutes. I always make the the night before I want to bake it so the dough can sit in the refrigerator overnight. Then, in the morning, there’s less waiting time and more eating time…yes, please!
Be sure to pay close attention to the measurements of each of the ingredients at the various stages of this recipe. Herbs are thrown into the dough before it sits overnight, but are also sprinkled over the top just before baking. I tried to make this as clear as possible in the actual recipe 🙂
Alright, everyone, have at it! Go make some bread!!
xoxo
Jennifer
Herbed Focaccia
Ingredients
- To make the dough…
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 TSP Salt
1/4 TSP Yeast
1 TBSP Fresh Rosemary (finely chopped)
1/2 TSP Dried Oregano
1/2 TSP Dried Basil
1 Cup Warm Water (120-130° F)
- Post dough making…
2 TBSP Olive Oil (separated)
1/2 TSP Fresh Rosemary (finely chopped)
1/4 TSP Dried Oregano
1/4 TSP Dried Basil
1/2 TSP Sea Salt
Directions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, yeast, 1 TBSP fresh rosemary, 1/2 TSP dried oregano, and 1/2 tsp dried basil.
- Measure out 1 cup of warm water and ensure the temperature is between 120° and 130° F. Quickly pour warm water over the flour mixture before it cools, and stir it until a soft sticky dough has formed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (for a minimum of 8 hours, but up to 24 hours).
- In the morning, pour 1 TBSP of olive oil in an 8 inch round cake pan and swirl it around to fully coat the bottom. Remove dough from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap. Using your hand, gently form the dough into a ball, and place it in the middle of the pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450°. Uncover the dough and drizzle the remaining 1 TBSP of olive oil over the top of it. Press your thumb down into the dough 10-12 times (until it touches the bottom of the pan) to create little valleys for the olive oil.
- Evenly sprinkle 1/2 TSP fresh rosemary, 1/4 TSP dried oregano, 1/4 TSP dried basil, and 1/2 TSP sea salt over the top of the dough.
- Bake for 22 minutes, or until top is a crispy golden brown.
Notes
- Do not cheat with dried rosemary!! The fresh rosemary makes this bread what it is!
- It might seem like I’m being particular about the water temperature, but after extensive research, it was determined that if yeast is added in with dry ingredients, the optimal water temperature for proofing is between 120° and 130° F.
- For Step 4, try to proof your dough in the warmest place in your kitchen, or in front of a sunny window if possible. For example. If you cooked eggs on the stove for breakfast and it’s still a bit warm, set the pan on top of the still-warm (not hot) stove.
- Store the bread in an air-tight container for 3-4 days (although I doubt it’ll last that long)! If you find that it’s getting a bit dry/crumbly over time, a quick zap in the microwave will soften it right up.