2 minute read

Garlic Focaccia Bread

Rooting in Italy, focaccia is a flat oven-baked bread that is similar in texture, flavor and style to pizza dough but more bready with only light toppings like shavings of cheese or fresh herbs when in season.

Reader Contribution by Lisa Kivirist and Inn Serendipity

Servings: 12 (depending on size)

DOUGH INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups all-purpose flour or 00 type flour • 11⁄4 cup water, lukewarm (90 to 105 degrees

Fahrenheit) • 11⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt • 1 tablespoon instant yeast

TOPPINGS

• 3 to 4 large cloves of garlic • 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup shredded, melting cheese • Extra Virgin olive oil • Salt and black pepper • Optional: fresh basil, thyme, oregano, or other herbs 1 Briefly bloom yeast in warm water to ensure yeast is alive and active. 2 Mix all dough ingredients in a bowl or stand mixer until combined into a smooth dough (5-6 minutes). 3 Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap or a wet towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size (typically one to two hours). 4 Once the dough has risen, prepare a 9” x 13” baking pan by rubbing it with olive oil and then lightly seasoning the bottom with salt and pepper. 5 Gently transfer your dough into the oiled pan and spread it to the covers of the pan. Try to avoid flattening the dough out as much as possible. 6 Place a damp towel over the pan and let it proof for 25 to 30 minutes. 7 Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 8 Generously drizzle the top of the focaccia with a few teaspoons of olive oil and then using

your fingers, gently dimple the surface of the dough to incorporate olive oil and create a textured surface. 9 Peel and cut garlic cloves in half the long way.

Place garlic halves into the dimples on the dough’s surface. If you’d like to include any fresh herbs, now would be the time to dice them and sprinkle them across the dough’s surface. 10 Place a light layer of melting cheese on top of the garlic and focaccia. Covering the garlic will help prevent it from burning in the hot oven. 11 Add a final drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and some more freshly cracked black pepper on top. Then place the focaccia in your preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned on top and cooked through. 12 Once removed from the oven, let the focaccia briefly cool before cutting to allow the bottom to more easily separate from the pan. 13 Serve or use immediately, or refrigerate after cooling for use later.

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