Love in the Kitchen - making fast, healthy, homegrown meals you'll enjoy

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Rosemary Focaccia Bread - Recipe

I had several requests for the recipe for my bread pictured yesterday.  Here's the recipe - it takes a bit of time (it must raise overnight and has two additional raise cycles), but is worth the effort.


Rosemary Focaccia Bread
1 cup water 
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
3 cups bread flour 
2 teaspoons yeast
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, or 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Put first 5 ingredients into bread machine in order listed, using the dough cycle.  In a small bowl, combine second amount of olive oil and rosemary.  Set aside.  When the cycle is complete, move the dough to a large greased bowl, turn once to coat both sides and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for three hours.  The dough should rise to nearly double in this time.  Once it has risen, coat your hands with flour and lightly dust a work area.  Holding the dough in your hands, allow the weight of the dough to stretch out the dough until it is about one inch thick.  lay it on the dusted countertop and fold the ends over itself like you would a letter.  Lightly dust the top with flour and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough double again in size, about one hour.

Prepare a 15-inch pizza pan or a 12 x 17 inch pan by greasing the surface and dusting with cornmeal.

Once the dough has doubled, move it to the prepared pan.  Using your fingertips, dimple and spread the dough, spooning the olive oil and herb mixture over the dough as your spread it.  The oil should run down into the spread and some may get under the dough.  If the dough is too stiff to spread, allow it to rest a few minutes before resuming.  The dough does not have to cover the entire pan as it will relax and spread as it rises.  Once the dough is spread to cover most of the pan, cover again loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Place a large flat metal pan on the bottom rack of the over to be used to hold water and with with to create steam and condition the cruse (Since high heat may distort the pan, do not use and expensive pan - an old baking sheet is perfect).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Immediately before placing the bead in the oven, mist the sides of the oven with water using a spray mister and then pour two cups of very hot water into the steam pan.  Be very careful - steam can burn badly.  To avoid rising steam, pour the water in without holding your hand directly over the pan.  Wear a glove and turn your face away from the escaping steam both when you pour the water and later when you open the oven.

Immediately place the bread in the hot oven and quickly close the door to retain the steam.  Turn the temperature down to 400 degrees and bake for fifteen minutes, opening the oven after five, ten and fifteen minutes to mist the walls again.  Continue baking for another twenty minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the bread tests done.  Immediately remove the bread from the pan to cool on a wire rack.  The loaf should look like this:


The recipe is actually easier than it seems - and the steaming of the oven helps create a spectacular crust.  Hope you enjoy!!




Zentmrs
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4 comments:

  1. YUM!!!
    I just printed this out!!!
    :D

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  2. So YUMMY!!! I printed this one and will be trying it soon!!! XOXO

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  3. Thanks, I must try this! One day I will try to make my own pasta; I always wanted to try it. must be almost as simple as making bread.

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  4. We have lots of fresh Rosemary to use in this great Focaccia Recipe. Hope you have a great week and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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