Do you Focaccia?

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focaccia_2I can’t say that I ever had before.  Sure, I’ve eaten it out of a bread basket at restaurants here and there.  But to have the urge to make it?  Can’t really say I ever had.  For some reason, one morning last week, I all of a sudden needed fresh focaccia bread.  (No, I’m not pregnant)  I poked around for awhile until I found a recipe that met my basic criteria (mostly good reviews, no ingredients I didn’t want or didn’t have) and had it thrown into my bread machine within 5 minutes.  I know.  Again with that bread machine.  But, you know what?  We went to the playground while the bread machine did all the work.  Gosh, I love that bread machine.

Overall, it was easier than I thought to get my focaccia on.  I didn’t go nuts leaving finger marks in the bread the way you are supposed to in order to get those indentations typical of focaccia.  Mine came out more rustic looking and that was fine with me.  Next time, I would halve the recipe and use a couple tablespoons of fresh rosemary (the recipe makes a full half sheet pan which is way more than my family needed!)  Happy baking :)

Bread Machine Focaccia Bread
 
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Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cup warm water
  • 1 cup olive oil, divided in half
  • 1 tbsp white sugar
  • 5 cups AP flour
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2¼ tsp bread machine yeast (or one package active dry yeast)
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
Instructions
  1. Place the warm water, ½ cup olive oil, sugar, flour, salt and yeast into the bowl of the bread machine according to bread machine instructions
  2. Set the bread machine to Dough setting and press Start
  3. When the dough cycle has completed, pour the other ½ cup of olive oil onto a half sheet pan (or standard baking sheet)
  4. Place the dough in the sheet pan and turn it over a few times to fully coat it with olive oil
  5. Begin kneading, pushing and stretching the dough to fill the entire pan
  6. Cover and let rise for about an hour
  7. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  8. Sprinkle the kosher salt and Herbs de Provence over the dough
  9. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes

 

Rosemary Garlic Bread

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rosemary_breadIt seems to me like bread machines were so 1999.  Maybe even earlier than that.  I don’t remember exactly because I definitely wasn’t using one back then.  Do people (besides me) even use them anymore?  I’m awfully glad I was never a trend follower because, man, do I love my bread machine.  It’s not fancy, but it sure gets the job done.  I always have a jar of yeast in my fridge and bread flour in my pantry, which means I can have fresh bread whenever I want.  Well, actually, whenever the baby naps and I have 15 minutes.  5 to come up with the idea to make bread and 10 to put everything in the bread machine.  Whatever.  Fresh bread for everyone!

There are loads of basic bread machine recipes floating around out there.  I’ve yet to found “the one”, so in the meantime, I make one that’s good enough.  Some recipes call for letting the yeast “bloom”, while most bread machine instructions tell you to place all the ingredients into the machine and just hit start.  My experience has been that letting the yeast bloom definitely gives a softer, fluffier and taller bread.  The soft and fluffy part is good, but I have a small capacity bread machine, so the tall part ends up looking a little silly.  Either way, I don’t think you can go wrong.

My rosemary plant is still thriving on the deck right now, and it was practically demanding to be baked into bread.  You could substitute any of your favorite fresh or dried herbs and I’m sure the result would be equally super.

Rosemary Bread
 
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Recipe type: Bread Machine Bread
Serves: 1 loaf
Ingredients
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2¼ tsp bread machine yeast (or one packet active dry yeast)
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
  1. Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in the bread machine
  2. Let sit about 10 minutes or until yeast bubbles
  3. Add olive oil, salt, rosemary, garlic and lemon zest to bread machine
  4. Select Basic or White bread setting and press Start