Focaccia: Yeasted Flat Bread

Baked Italian Flat Bread With Garlic & Herbs

Makes two 12 inch flat rounds or rectangles: This focaccia bread recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, and also makes an excellent pizza or calzoni crust, with or without the herbs and garlic.

Feel free to substitute a mixture of whole grain flours for half the white flour.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups unbleached white bread flour
• OR 6 cups all purpose + 2 Tbsp gluten
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried marjoram
• 4 - 6 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 envelopes dry yeast

Directions:

1. Heat 1/2 of the olive oil on low
2. Peel, stem and mince the garlic
3. Add 1/2 the garlic and 1/2 the herbs to the olive oil
4. Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water, set aside until it foams
5. Measure the flour, add salt, rub in the olive oil and herbs
6. Add the yeast and water, mix together
7. Add more water as needed to make a flexible dough
8. Knead for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface, until smooth and elastic
9. Oil the dough lightly, and put in an oiled bowl to rise
10. Cover with a damp cloth and rise until doubled in size (approx 1 hour), in a warm spot, like the top of the fridge
11. Punch down, knead briefly, and divide into two balls
12. Gently heat the rest of the olive oil, herbs and garlic
13. Using a rolling pin or your hands, roll or press the balls of dough on a floured surface into 10 - 12" rounds or rectangles about 1/2" thick
14. Spread oil and herbs evenly over the bread, and sprinkle with salt
15. Place on baking sheets, cover and let rest 15 minutes
16. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
17. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, until lightly browned
18. Remove from pan and cool on racks
19. If you can only bake one bread at a time, reserve one ball of dough, punch down and knead again and prep while the other one bakes