Monday, June 17, 2013

Easy Rosemary Focaccia


We are out for our morning walk. It's early morning and very quiet. The tide is gently lapping at the sides of the shore and the clouds are parting. The breeze is ever so slight. My favorite time of the day......


I had made vegetable broth over the week-end. So for today's lunch the plan was a swiss chard and vegetable soup. But something was needed, some kind of bread or rolls to complete our meal. So I went back and forth, checking cookbooks and different blogs online. I came up with this fast and easy rosemary focaccia with just a little bit of whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour changed the consistency a bit for me, making the bread more dense. Still delicious but not your traditional bread. This recipe is from "theKitchn.com".


Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water
3 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
5 sprigs fresh rosemary
Several pinches of maldon or flaky sea salt



To prepare:

In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Wait about 10 minutes for yeast to foam up.

In a separate large bowl, mix the flours and salt. Add the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix the dough with a wooden spoon until it is as smooth as possible. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl. Put the ball of dough and turn it so it is coated on all sides. Cover with a tea towel and place it in a warm place to double in bulk, about 2 hours.

Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil onto the baking sheet and rub it over the bottom and sides. Punch down the dough and then place the dough on the baking sheet. Using your fingertips, coax and stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Don't worry if dough doesn't reach the edges. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rest, about 30 to 40 minutes.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450ºF with a rack in the middle of the oven. Strip the rosemary leaves from the stems. If the rosemary leaves are large, chop them with a knife. You should have roughly 2 tablespoons.

After the focaccia has puffed up, sprinkle the rosemary evenly over the surface. Using your fingertips, dimple the surface of the focaccia all over. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the loaf, so the oil pools in the indentations here and there. Use a little more if needed. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 pinches of salt.

Place in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375ºF. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes. Focaccia is ready when golden brown. Best served warm.
Cheri Savory Spoon
Cheri Savory Spoon

Mysavoryspoon was first started in 2010 as a way to journal recipes that I had collected from cookbooks, magazines, family and friends. Most everything was savory, using legumes and whole grains. Along the way I discovered a love for baking. Now a couple times a month you might see some type of sweet pie or treat.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Cheri!

    I have passed your Focaccia recipe to 2 friends... would your blog show the "sharing" of your recipe?

    Also, I just shared your link on my facebook timeling page. Would you be notified somehow thru your blog?

    Don keeps me in stitches! Hope all is well,

    Sandra

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sandra,

      I don't believe the sharing or the timeline page shows up, so far I cannot see it. So sorry some of this is still kind of new to me. Thanks for commenting.

      Delete