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Focaccia with Fresh Rosemary

Source of Recipe

From "Red Truck Bakery Cookbook" by Brian Noyes


Recipe Introduction

"If you've never made a loaf of bread before, this recipe is a good place to start. You make this bread on the day you eat it; no advance prep work required. Topped with crunchy crystals of sea salt and fresh rosemary that we grow right outside our Warrenton location; it's perfect for sandwiches. My favorite combo is thick-sliced Black Forest ham, slabs of white Cheddar cheese, a couple leaves of Boston lettuce, and a hearty swipe of honey mustard. Use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to knead the dough, if you like, but we find it more satisfying to knead by hand."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one ¼-ounce packet)
â—¦ 1 cup warm (not hot) water
â—¦ 1 ½ cups bread flour, sifted
â—¦ Olive oil
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
â—¦ Nonstick cooking spray
â—¦ 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, for sprinkling
â—¦ Sea salt, for sprinkling


Recipe

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add 2 tablespoons of the bread flour, whisk well, and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the salt, and the remaining bread flour. Start mixing on low-medium speed, adding the all-purpose flour ½ cup at a time, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl (you may not need to all of it, though if it's a humid day, you may need to add a bit more).

At this point you can continue working the dough in the mixer with the bread hook, adding more flour as necessary, until it feels smooth, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough feels smooth, about 15 minutes.

Coat a large bowl with olive oil, form the dough into a ball, and place it in the bowl. Gently turn the dough over to coat all sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free space for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray. Punch down dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Pat out the dough into a large, thin circle about 7 inches wide and place it in the prepared pan. Brush the top well with olive oil. Cover again and let rise in a warm, draft-free space for 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

Bake for 23 to 28 minutes, until the focaccia is lightly browned and puffed up. Immediately brush with more olive oil and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and sea salt. Slide a fork underneath the focaccia to ease it out of the pan and onto a raised wire rack to cool. Store in a plastic bag for 3 days at room temperature, or in the freezer for up to one moth.

Makes one 9-inch focaccia