Traditional Focaccia with Herbs
A wonderful Focaccia recipe that’s loaded with herbs and flavor. Perfect with a salad, served with pasta or just for dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Focaccia is the perfect accompaniment to just about any meal. I like to vary the herbs depending on what else is on the menu. You can add either fresh or dried herbs, as well as chopped Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes or even finely minced garlic. The varieties are endless, experiment with your favorite herbs and seasonings and create a Focaccia bread recipe of your own!
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Ingredients
- 2-3/4 cups flour
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 cup water or milk, warmed to about 110° to 115° F
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, preferably freshly grated
- 1 tsp each of dried oregano, thyme, and basil
- 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt or sea salt
Ingredients
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the 1 cup of milk or water (110° to 115° F) with sugar and yeast to proof. Combining the yeast with the warm liquid and some sugar will activate the yeast. You should see the mixture become bubbly and foamy on the top in about 5 minutes.
- To the proofed yeast mixture, add the flour, salt, garlic, oregano, thyme, basil, black pepper, and 1 Tbsp of oil; mix together thoroughly. When the Focaccia dough starts to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
- Lightly oil a large glass bowl, place Focaccia dough in the bowl and turn over to coat entire surface of dough with some of the oil. Cover with a damp dish cloth and set in a warm place to rise for about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450° F.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. With fingers, gently pat the dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle.
- Brush the top of the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, the dried herbs, and coarse salt.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve Focaccia warm from the oven.
