Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread is a flat bread I think originating from somewhere in the Mediterranean. My inclination is to claim Italy is the wizard behind this creation, but it could have been some crazy Cretan or something. Nevertheless, I still regard this particular delicacy as being Italian, no matter where it really came from.

It is more or less a leavened dough of few ingredients that is dimpled, smothered in olive oil, and massaged with spices or other flavorful additives. It is, more or less, delicious.

Ever since my KitchenAid stand mixer came into my life, a very well-deserved anniversary present she was, making breads and doughs has become easier than ever. But, because I assume that most people do not own one of these delightful machines, I will write the recipe for the general population instead. Keep in mind this recipe is time consuming. The work itself isn't hard, but you have to wait around for a while for the dough to rise. Approximate time, from start to finish, will be at least three hours. But it's not like anyone has anything better to do than make fresh bread, right?


Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/2 c. tepid water
4 c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp salt
3 tbsp garlic; minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary; chopped
EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil


1. Dissolve the yeast in a bowl with the tepid water. Let the yeast sit for about 10 minutes, then stir to dissolve.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the flour and 2 tsp of the salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast water to the flour, and start mixing. You're going to have to add more tepid water to the mixture, until a smooth dough forms.

I think I added nearly 1.5 cups to mine. It's a bitch, and this is the point when I give my stand mixer a little kiss for doing the work for me. Here's what a smooth dough looks like:

3. Add about 2 tbsp of the minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of the rosemary to the dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface at least 10 or so minutes, until it is smooth and elastic and the herbs are pretty evenly distributed:

4. Put the dough back in the bowl, if it's clean enough, and cover with plastic. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. Two hours is a reasonable expectation. It should look like this:

5. At this point, it's time to get a cookie sheet out. Grease that thing up right with some olive oil, and slap the dough on there. Roll it out until it's about an even inch or so thick - the shape doesn't matter, so don't attempt a perfect rectangle. Let it rise another 30 minutes.

6. Slather the top in olive oil, spread around the remaining garlic and rosemary, and sprinkle on the remaining salt. The dough will collapse some, but take care not to compress it too much. With your finger tips, gently dimple the dough so it looks like this:

7. Now it's ready for baking! Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, and bake until it's golden brown on the top, approximately 25-30 minutes. Voila!

Beautiful.

Please note that you MUST let the dough rise properly. I tried to rush things before and ended up with a broken heart and a giant bread stick that even the dog could barely chew. If there is just too much damn bread in the end, it's okay - it freezes well!