Focaccia is the new banana bread. Everyone is making focaccia at home and now that I know how simple it is, I know why. This recipe is fail-proof and I’ll definitely be making it more often in our home.
Focaccia should be crisp on the top and soft inside and this recipe will give you bread that is exactly like that. So simple to make, that you’ll ace this, even if you are a beginner. Don’t worry, I got you.
If you’re up for baking more bread, be sure to check my other recipes for Basic white bread and Pumpkin bread.
Ingredients to make Focaccia
To make focaccia, you need basic bread ingredients; Flour, yeast, water and for this one, some olive oil, herbs and honey.
As with making any bread, it is important you have good quality yeast. The texture and softness of your bread will mostly depend on the yeast. Also, even with the best yeast, you need to ensure the right conditions for the yeast to activate and do its job. Read on to know the right way to use yeast.
Using Yeast in Focaccia
- Yeast needs the right temperature to activate. Not too hot or too cold, it just won’t do. Slightly warm water works best.
- You need to make sure your yeast is active. To know if it is after you mix it in water/liquid and leave it aside for about 10 minutes, the mixture should turn frothy and bubbly.
- Once you have the dough ready, it needs to rest and double up in size. This works best if you leave it in a slightly warm place. I like to place it inside my oven, even better if it’s been just used and has a little bit of the residual heat.
- Remember to grease the bowl you’re letting the dough rest in. This helps take the dough out smoothly.
Steps to making Focaccia :
(See Pictures below)
Step 1: Make your dough
Step 2: Let it rest and rise
Step 3 : Spread it on a greased tray
Step 4: Let the indentations stay
Step 5: Let it rise, drizzle the oil and bake
Focaccia
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 cups flour + 1/2 cup flour for dusting and kneading
3/4 tsp salt
- Start with letting the yeast activate. In a small bowl, mix the warm water, yeast and honey. Keep aside to let the mixture turn frothy and bubbly.
- While the yeast activates, infuse the oil with the herbs. In a small saucepan, mix the olive oil, minced garlic and the dried rosemary.
- Heat this mixture over a low flame for about 10 minutes. Do not increase the temperature.
- Take it off the heat and strain the oil into a glass/heatproof container.
- In a large bowl, mix the (1 1/2 cups ) flour and the salt.
- Add the water and yeast mixture to the flour.
- Reserve 2 tbsp of the infused oil and add the rest of it to the flour. You can do this while the oil is still warm.
- Using a spatula, bring this mixture together to form a rough dough.
- Dust your work surface with some of the remaining half cup of flour and tip the dough onto your work surface.
- Using your hands, knead the dough, until it forms a smooth dough.
- Use some or all of the half cup of flour for this, incorporating little at a time and using only what is needed.
- Grease a bowl, with a little of the olive oil and place the dough in it.
- Leave it to rise and double up in size.
Proofing and baking the dough:
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest in a warm place for about an hour. It should double up in size.
- Once the dough has risen, use a little of the oil to grease an 8″x 12″ rectangular baking pan.
- Tip the dough on to the baking pan and using your fingers spread the dough over the pan. It should cover the entire pan. Leave the indentations (dimples) on the dough as they are. (Check out the highlight “Focaccia” on my Instagram to see a step by step process of this or refer to the pictures above. )
- Leave this to rest for 30 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 225 C
- When it has risen again, spread the remaining oil all over the top of the dough.
- Bake the risen dough in a preheated oven for 17- 20 minutes. It’ll turn golden brown when it’s done.
- Let it cool completely before you slice it.
