Homemade Focaccia Bread

Anyone who doesn't like Focaccia bread - raise you hand? Of course not... ! and it's so easy to make..

Here's what you'll need:

For the dough
2 cups warm water (110F)
1 tbsp Active dry yeast.
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
5 to 5 1/2 cups - All purpose flour.

For the topping
1 tbsp chopped Rosemary
2 tbsp chopped red onions
3 tbsp Olive oil
1 med garlic chopped to slices.

Method:

Have all your ingredients ready.
Mix all the ingredients for your topping and let rest. 

Warm the water, add in the yeast, sugar, salt, and Olive Oil.
Let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.

 After 5 minutes this is what your yeast should look like.. This means the yeast is activated.

 Place about 4 cups of A. P. Flour in the bowl of your mixer with a dough attachment.

Pour your yeast mixture.

Start the mixture on medium low..

 Once all the flour is incorporated - and your dough is still not formed into a ball...add some flour.

 As you can see my dough is almost close to forming into a ball but still quite sticky..

Here you can see the dough has formed into a ball and has left the sides of the bowl.
Now let the mixture run on low for about 7 minutes..
If the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl - add a tbsp of flour at a time.
Do not add too much flour.

 Here you can see the dough has formed into a soft, smooth, elastic ball.
Remove from the mixer - form into a ball with your hands. tucking the seams underneath.

Take a stainless steel or glass bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil. 

 Coat the ball of dough in the oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic/ cling wrap and let rest for about an hour or so - until double in volume.
Mine usually takes about 40 to 50 minutes.

 Viola - double in volume!

 Spread some olive oil in a square or sheet pan. I'm using my 9 x 13 sheet pan.

 Spread the dough with your finger tips into the pan.

Cover with cling wrap and rest for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 C. 
Spread the topping ingredients over the surface, let rest another 10 minutes while the oven is preheating.
Place in a prehaeated oven for about 20 minutes. or until golden brown.

Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

 Remove from and serve warm.

I do hope that you will try this recipe. I sounds difficult but with such a detailed step by step.... do you need more help? ... I didn't think so..
Let me know how it goes..

Thanks for stopping by.