Focaccia Bread

With fresh tomatoes really coming into bounty now, let's talk tomatoes!  What better to top a delicious fluffy focaccia bread with than olive oil and tomatoes!  I found this recipe and I must say, it is delish.  It creates a medium thick, chewy focaccia bread, perfect for dipping or even better to make a prosciutto, tomato and mozzarella panini.......YUM!   My 7 year old thought that this was "the bomb".  I hope you like it too!  It does take a bit of work, but it is well worth it.....at least I think so.  I prefer my focaccia with tomatoes and fresh chopped basil leaves, but you can top with almost anything.  Caramelized onions and roasted peppers also make a delicious combination.

Focaccia Bread

1 cup warm water
1 package yeast
1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt ( I use kosher salt)

3 tablespoons olive oil (Additional needed for brushing on before baking)

3 cup bread flour (additional needed for dusting surface to keep from sticking)
Toppings (optional): Fresh herbs such as; basil or chopped fresh rosemary, thinly sliced tomatoes,  caramelized onions, roasted peppers, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese….use your imagination!

Place the water in a large bowl. Add the yeast and sugar, and let sit for 5-8 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the salt and olive oil and 1 cup of flour.  Gradually add the remaining flour.  Place dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth about 6-8 minutes, (dough should be smooth and pliable) adding more flour as necessary to keep from sticking. Place dough in a greased bowl, then cover with oiled saran wrap and let rise in a warm draft free place for 1-1/2 hours.  Remove cover from bowl and punch down dough.

 Knead for a minute, then let the dough rest covered for 10 minutes.

Grease a 13x9x2 pan with additional olive oil.  Pat dough evenly to cover pan, to form a rectangle.  With the tips of your fingers, make dents in the surface of the dough about one inch apart. Brush or drizzle olive oil over the top of the dough and over the indents you've made, then top or sprinkle on your desired toppings. Allow focaccia to rise for an additional 30 minutes (I don't always cover the dough during this last rise, but you can if you'd like). Preheat oven to 400' F.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.  Remove from oven and cut into squares with a pizza cutter.