Ahhh….homemade focaccia!! I’ve lost count on what day of Covid19 quarantine we’re on now but I tell you we’re at the point where everyone is getting restless, a little punchy, and ready to leave the house again! My oldest daughter jokingly ran out of the house before dinner last night and yelled “GET ME OUT OF THIS HOUSE”!! The people walking their dog thought she it was hysterical and said they knew the feeling! But really – we are all doing just fine and haven’t screamed at each other yet.
Since I’m stuck in the house, I’ve decided to start doing some things I feel like I never have time to do. I’ve cleaned out rooms, closets, etc but I, of course, would prefer to spend my time in the kitchen cooking delicious food. Today’s goal was a big one….attempt to master homemade focaccia. I’ve tried multiple times before to make focaccia and it just never turns out right. It’s not bad but its just not as good as I knew it could be. Well today I did it!! I found this recipe in this month’s Bon Appetit magazine (one of my favorite magazines) and decided to give it a try. It turned out perfect and was SO easy!! You do have to allow the dough to rest either most of the day or overnight but it is so worth it when you get the finished product. And you really only need 3 ingredients – flour, active yeast, and some water! This is also a great recipe for your kids to help make. I hope you love it as much as I do!
*Bread Machine Recipe
If using a bread machine, follow the steps below:
- 1 cup warm water (make sure it is not too hot but just barely warm)
-
1 tbsp olive oil or garlic oil
-
1 envelope of instant yeast
-
3 cups all purpose flour
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1 tbsp of cane sugar
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1 tsp salt
Follow the directions for your bread machine on whether to add wet or dry ingredients first. Cook on setting for European or focaccia bread. I transfer to a pan and cook in the oven before it begins to cook in the bread machine. Before cooking, poke dimples in the bread, drizzle with a good amount of olive oil, and add any seasonings or herbs you love.
No-Knead Focaccia
Ingredients
- 1 envelope active dry yeast about 2 1/4 tsp
- 2 tsp honey
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp course kosher salt
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- olive oil
- Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Combine yeast, honey, and 2 1/2 cups of lukewarm water in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add flour and salt. Mix until dough begins to form and no dry streaks remain.
- In a large bowl, pour 4 tbsp of olive oil in the bottom of the bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough doubles in size (8 to 24 hours - I left mine overnight).
- After dough has doubled, butter a 13x9 baking dish or large cast iron skillet (depends which shape you want your focaccia to be). Before transferring dough, gather the edges of dough in the bowl and lift over and into center of bowl. You're trying to make a rough ball without deflating the dough. Once you've made a rough ball, transfer the dough to your baking dish/cast iron. Place the dough in a warm spot and let rise again for another 1 1/2 to 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Once the dough has risen the 2nd time, make deep indentations with your fingers all over the dough. Drizzle with olive oil and garlic oil (my preference) and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 25 minutes until top of bread is golden.
- Remove from oven and pour 4 tbsp of melted butter over the top. You may also top it with extra salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, minced garlic, or fresh herbs.
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