My family is in town this week, which means my mom brings her own version of recipes along with her. This time, it's this bread and a new twist on chicken salad, which I'll share in a bit. I was skeptical of the bread, since every yeast bread I make turns out really dense and tough. But, it turned out pretty well and was really easy to make, hence I'm sharing it. Enjoy!
Rosemary Foccacia Bread
Originally found at Alexandra Cooks
2 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp active-dry yeast (or 1 packet)
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp butter, warmed to room temperature
2 Tbsp olive oil
Sea Salt
Dried Rosemary (about 1 tsp)
In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top. Allow to sit 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy or bubbling. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. When the yeast mixture is foamy, add it to the flour bowl and mix until just combined. Cover and set aside in a warm spot for at least an hour.
Grease a 9x13 inch pan with the room temperature butter. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Punch down the dough and scrape it from the sides of the bowl, then transfer dough to the buttered dish. Pour olive oil over the dough and press out with your fingers to an even thickness throughout. Sprinkle the top with rosemary and sea salt. Allow the dough to rise 20-30 minutes, until approximately doubled in size again.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then decrease temperature to 375 and continue to bake until the top if golden brown. Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
My Notes:
I was skeptical of this when my mom first made it, but it's pretty good. So good that the entire loaf disappears by the next morning, with four of us there to eat it (well, three and a half, since my baby sister eats like a bird and hides herself away in my room).
