About the Recipe
Focaccia bread is one of my favorite things to bake—it’s simple, versatile, and always a hit. One of the best compliments I’ve ever received came from an employee who tried it when I brought some to the office for lunch. She told me, ‘This tastes just like my grandmother’s bread!', and her grandmother still lives in Italy. :) She loved it so much that she often requested that I make it again, with a preference for whole olives.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we all do!
Ingredients
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbs fresh minced garlic or 2 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp dried thyme (slightly heaping) - gently ground
2 tsp dried rosemary (slightly heaping) - gently ground
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 c warm water
1 pkg yeast
1 tsp honey
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c shredded 4 cheese Italian blend (Sam's Bella Collina) or 3/4 c fresh Dubliner shredded cheese, 3/4 c fresh parmesan shredded (reserve 1/4 c for topping)
1 can black olives (halved) - If you dislike olives, omit them or you can add to only on one side of the bread
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash hands thoroughly - these are your best tools to use in this recipe.
In a cold, medium saucepan or skillet; Combine olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary and the black pepper. Place pan over low heat then cook, stirring occasionally 5-10 min or until aromatic, but before garlic browns. Set aside.
In medium bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and honey. Stir a few times then let sit for 5 min. Now, add 1 c of flour and 1/4 c of infused garlic-olive oil mixture. Stir 3-4 times until flour has moistened. Let this sit for another 5 min.
Stir in remaining 1 1/2 c flour and salt. Once the dough comes together work in the cheese. Transfer to a floured surface and knead the dough 10-15 times until smooth.
Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover with warm, damp towel and let rise for 1 hour in warmer area of kitchen. (I place mine in microwave with door closed… it's over my oven).
Use 2 tbs of the remaining garlic-olive oil mixture to grease a 9" X 13" rimmed baking sheet or baking pan.
Transfer dough to baking pan then press it down into the pan. Use your fingers to dimple the dough and add black olives.
Drizzle the top of dough with remaining garlic-olive oil mixture. Top with reserved 1/4c shredded cheese. Let the dough rise for 20 min until it puffs slightly.
Bake 15-20 min or until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.