Homemade Focaccia Bread

Tried this recipe for homemade Foccacia Bread on Sunday and liked it so much that I made it again today for my birthday party. It's absolutely delicious, especially when dipping it into a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The recipe is pretty easy and I would definitely recommend it!

Homemade Focaccia Bread
Crepes of Wrath

For the Bread:

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp olive oil

For the Topping:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Combine your water and yeast in a large mixing bowl, stir once, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes or so, until the mixture has foamed. Mine actually didn’t foam that well, honestly…I let it sit for 20 minutes with mediocre foaming results, but I am impatient so I went ahead with this recipe and it still turned out great! So as long as the texture changes a bit, you should be alright (so long as your yeast isn’t a year old).
2. Add in 3 1/2 cups of your flour, along with your sugar, salt, and olive oil. Knead by hand or with your dough hook for 8-10 minutes, until very well combined and beginning to look smooth, then add in the remaining 1 cup of flour very slowly. Knead the dough until it is smooth and pulls away from your hands (AKA becomes less sticky) or the sides of your mixing bowl. Place the dough in a large, well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a cloth towel (this helps the bowl to retain heat and allows the bread to rise), and place in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
3. After the first rising period, coat a baking sheet (standard size baking sheets are 10×15-inches) well with oil, then punch the dough down and remove it from the bowl. Use your fingers to spread it out as evenly as possible over the sheet (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Cover the sheet again with a cloth, then allow it to rise for an additional 45 minutes, until puffy looking.
4. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. When you are ready to bake, make dents in the bread all over with your knuckle (but don’t make them so far down that you touch the baking tray through the bread), then drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with your combined spices, then bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and set. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing and dipping in olive oil, spreading with butter, or making into sandwiches or pizza!