Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread has always been near and dear to my heart because it was my favorite food when i studied in Italy almost 4 years ago.  It wasn't just an "oh, I l always had a side of focaccia bread with my pasta" type of love.  I'm talking I ate more focaccia bread than I did spaghetti, croissants and gelato combined.  At this point, I like to consider myself a connoisseur, so it's hard to find a truly authentic recipe in America.  Lucky for you guys, I've been researching different recipes on Italian websites, and this is as close to the real thing as I can get.  It's surprisingly easy to make yourself, but just make sure you clear out your afternoon because the process is a little lengthy with the time needed for the dough to rise.  It worked perfectly with my massive baking day last Sunday!  I made the bread dough before I started my butternut squash soup and apple crisp, and whipped up the other recipes while this was rising!  It was a heavenly trio to say the least!

I started by mixing lukewarm water with a packet of dried yeast.  After it was bubbling a bit, I added a dash of sugar and 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and gave the mixture a quick whisk.

Time to add the flour.  I whisked in about half of the flour into the yeast and oil mixture.  It should still maintain a slight liquid texture after this is added in.  Then, add the salt and switch to the best kitchen tool: your hands.  Knead for a minute, then add the rest of the flour and knead the dough on a smooth surface coated with lots of flour (preferably a pie or pastry mat) for a few minutes until the dough is nice and elastic. 

All ready to rise!  I transferred the dough to an 8" x 8" glass dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on the base to give the underside of the bread a crisp texture.  Shape the dough into a square form to fit the dish, and put it in a warm place for an hour, until the dough doubles in size.

After the dough gets all tall and fluffy, you have to punch it down with your fingers until it's back to its original height.  Let it rise again for 30 minutes.  While it's rising for the second time, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit so it's all ready to go for the bread.

After it rose for the half hour, I punched the dough down again with my fingers, trying to aim for the same spots as before so you get that beautiful polka dot pattern.  I drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil, dried rosemary and garlic powder, and popped it in the oven for exactly 15 minutes.  

And voila!  Buon appetito!