Focaccia is a flat Italian yeast bread that is easy to make and absolutely delicious. And even if you’ve been baking bread for as long as I have, I’m sure you will love the ease with which this bread goes together. First of all, there are only 6 ingredients in the dough! What’s not to love about that? And none of those 6 ingredients is exotic, expensive, or hard to find. (I’ll get to the fleur de sel part a little later. For now, let’s just bask in the relative inexpensive merits of the recipe thus far!) In addition to being very easy to prepare, a rustic appearance is almost mandatory. In other words, no presentation points are awarded for straight lines, in fact demerits are given if the bread looks too perfect! But the best reason to bake Focaccia is still its’ lovely flavor and the fact that this soft thin bread is exceptionally versatile. Obviously Focaccia is great served as part of an Italian dinner. But straight out of the oven, sliced in fairly small pieces, Focaccia is also a fabulous appetizer. Serve it with a small bowl of dunking oil (extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic and parsley, kosher salt, and pepper) and your guests will be very happy with you. But in my opinion Focaccia is at its best when used to sop up recalcitrant sauces that take little walk-abouts on your plate. (Some people are fussy about different foods “touching”, and this bread is a life saver in that regard.) Focaccia is also delicious dunked in thick soups and stews and as a mop for those last little bits left on the sides of your bowl or on your plate. (It is ever so much more socially acceptable to use a piece of bread as a mop than say licking your bowl or plate or using your finger. I’ve seen both done, believe me. Remember those 4 kids I mentioned earlier in my blog?) And speaking of earlier, I did mention I would talk about fleur de sel.
According to Wikipedia, fleur de sel (flower of salt) is a hand-harvested sea salt collected by scraping only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans. Traditional French fleur de sel is collected off the coast of Brittany, most notably in the town of Guerande. Due to its relative scarcity and its labor-intensive production, fleur de sel is one of the more expensive salts. Although I love to use fleur de sel on this bread, it is definitely not necessary. Kosher salt and a less precocious sea salt are perfectly acceptable substitutes. Just remember not to use too much. There is already ample salt in the bread dough itself.
- 1 1/3 c. warm water
- 1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided + more for pouring over the dough
- 3 1/2 c. flour
- 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
- fleur de sel, large crystal sea salt, or kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Pour water into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with yeast, and stir in sugar, salt, and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Let rest (proof) for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups flour and knead for 4-5 minutes adding flour as needed to make a smooth and soft dough. Round dough up in the bowl, pour a little olive oil over the top, and turn dough with your hands (the best tool in your kitchen, by the way) until the entire surface is coated. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for an hour. Pour about a tablespoon of the remaining olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the greased baking sheet. Pat dough out until it is about ½-inch thick. (Remember, it should not be a perfect rectangle.) Poke holes all over the surface. Slather enough of the remaining olive oil over the dough to completely cover the surface. Sprinkle with chopped garlic, rosemary, salt of choice, and a couple of grinds of black pepper (not too much). Let rest for about 30 minutes. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let bread stay in pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Try adding kalamata olives, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, or Italian seasoning to the dough for a nice flavor surprise. (Add along with the flour.) Serve Focaccia warm or at room temperature.