Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Italian Herb Focaccia


Focaccia.  Sounds fancy.  But super easy!  This is a nice, quick bread that goes great with pasta (which we had for lunch) and roast chicken (which we had for dinner).  One thing I didn't do, but will do next time is line the pan with parchment paper so the bread is easier to remove.  And it was a hit with Nate - he loved poking holes in the dough!

Ingredients
3 1/4 cups flour
1 envelope rapid rise yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 2/3 cups very warm water
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning

  1. Mix flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and water and stir until well mixed.
  3. Grease 9x13 pan (or line with parchment paper) and spread dough in it.
  4. Cover pan and led rise until doubled, 30 minutes to an hour.
  5. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke multiple holes in dough.  
  6. Drizzle 2 tbsp oil over dough and sprinkle cheese and seasoning on top.
  7. Preheat over to 375 degrees and allow dough to rise another 15 minutes.
  8. Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool slightly and cut into slices.