Homemade Italian Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Who knew that baking this super soft and amazingly delicious
Italian focaccia bread could be this easy?!?

This focaccia bread is simply delicious. Super soft and wholesome. It combines the fresh aroma of rosemary, and the pungent and fruity flavor of extra virgin olive oil. So simple, but yet so impressive.
I like to bake this bread for our family dinner, but also when I have guests, to serve with a variety of Italian appetizers. Next to some prosciutto or porchetta. With a mozzarella and juicy tomato caprese. Or a selection of olives and cheese.
And here is my secret. A very simple secret that will guarantee your guests begging for another dinner invitation: bake this focaccia right before everybody is supposed to arrive. Nothing compares to the mouth-watering smell of freshly baked bread. The inviting aroma of this focaccia will surely welcome your guests into your dining room, and make them run for their fork and plate.
Everybody will be impressed by your baking ability. But now, look at my recipe: quick and easy. No need for a bread-maker or any other expensive gadget. All you need is a spoon, your hands (... can't do without them!!) and a little bit of patience. All great things take time to bake.
The trick to amazingly soft bread is in the rising. The dough needs a warm and safe place to stay. I cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let it sit for about 3 hours in the oven. Turned off, obviously :-)
I am positive that you can do this. And I know that while you will be mixing, kneading and eating this focaccia you will be asking yourself why did you wait this long to try homemade bread. I know you will!

Ingredients: to make a 9 x 12 in focaccia bread

• 1 medium russet potato (mine was 6.5 oz, 185 gr)
• 2.5 cups (400 gr) of bread flour
• 1 package of active dry yeast (3/4 oz, 21 gr)
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 5 rosemary sprigs
• 2 teaspoons (12 gr) of salt
• 10 fl oz (300 ml) of water
• half teaspoon of coarse sea salt (I used lava black sea salt) to sprinkle on top

Preparation time: about 4 hours (35 minutes to prepare, three hours inactive, 25 minutes baking)

Directions:
1. Cook the potato (peeled) in slightly salted water. It should take about 20 minutes. Test with a fork for readiness.
2. In a large bowl add the flour, yeast, sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and most of the rosemary leaves chopped in small pieces. Save 2 rosemary sprigs for the end.  Pass the potato (when still hot) through a ricer into the bowl.

3. Dissolve the salt in 10 fl oz of warm water. Add to the bowl. Mix with a spoon first, until most of the flour is absorbed. Once the dough comes together, move it to a clean, lightly floured counter and knead for several minutes, pushing with your palm down and forward. The dough should be sightly sticking to your hand. Add some flour if too sticky, or add a tiny bit of water if too hard to work.
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Keep it in a warm place. As I do for my pizza dough, I place it in the oven (turned off obviously!). Let the dough rise for about an hour and a half.

4. Line a 9 x 12 in baking pan with parchment paper. Place the dough on the paper, and flatten it down with your fingers. With your finger, punch some holes on the dough, just like in the picture. Sprinkle with sea salt and the remaining rosemary. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Put the pan back in the off-oven, and let the dough rise for another hour and a half, or so.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees. Bake the focaccia bread for about 23- 25 minutes, until slightly golden on top.

Cut in squares and serve warm or at room temperature ... always delicious! Enjoy!

Freshly Baked Focaccia Bread with Green Olives

Incredibly soft homemade focaccia bread with green olives.

Who knew that simple fresh bread could taste so good?!

Here is another great recipe for focaccia bread. As you might remember I've posted how to bake focaccia with rosemary before. This recipe is very similar, but no rosemary, and the added flavor of delicious green olives.
As I said many times, what you bake is only as good as the ingredients you use. So make sure to buy flavorful olives. Not those plain ones that come in a can. If the olives don't have much taste, neither will your bread. I bought mine at my local Whole Foods. For sure more expensive than other places. But I really love their salad bar, because of the large selection of olives: Sicilian, Cerignola, Spanish, Greek, and so many others to choose from. This time I picked my favorite green Sicilian pitted (yes, please!!!) olives, that tasted amazing in my bread.
I made this focaccia to serve with appetizers the other night for some guests. I served a plate of prosciutto di San Daniele, and burrata cheese. Next to some bruschette with organic colorful cherry tomatoes that I bought at the market. I cooked the focaccia right before dinner was supposed to start, so my guests were welcomed at the dinner table by the amazing aroma of  freshly baked bread ... and yes, garlic too! From the bruschette.
From the compliments I received, I can say that dinner was a hit. From start to finish. And my kids said that the focaccia was their favorite part. The focaccia AND the meringue cups that I served at the end. Dessert is always their favorite. Mine too :-)

Ingredients: to make a 9x12 in bread

• 1 medium russet potato, about 5.5 oz, 180 gr
• 2.5 cups (400 gr) of bread flour
• 1 package of active dry yeast (3/4 oz, 21 gr)
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 1 cup (4 oz, 115 gr) of green olives
• 2 teaspoons (12 gr) of salt
• 10 fl oz (300 ml) of water
• coarse sea salt

Preparation time: 4 hours (20 minutes preparation time, 40 minutes cooking time and 3 hours inactive)
Directions:
1. Boil the potato by placing it in a pot with cold salted water. It should take about 20 minutes from when the water boils to be fully cooked. Test with  a fork for readiness.
2. In a large bowl add the flour, yeast, sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the riced potatoes (rice when still hot).

3. Dissolve the salt in 10 fl oz of warm water. Add to the bowl. Mix with a spoon first, until most of the flour is absorbed.

4. The dough will be quite soft and sticky. You can work directly on the bowl, and knead with your fingers. Or move it to the counter and knead with your palms.

5. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Keep it in a warm place. As I do for my pizza dough, I place it in the oven (turned off obviously!). Let the dough rise for about an hour and a half.

6. Line a 9 x 12 in baking pan with parchment paper. Place the dough on the paper, and flatten it down with your fingers. Add the olives, and pushed them down with your finger.

                                             

                                             

7. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with some sea salt. 

                                             

8. Put the pan back in the off-oven, and let the dough rise for another hour and a half, or more.

 

9. Remove the pan from the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees. Bake the focaccia bread for about 25 minutes, until slightly golden on top. Cut in squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
Buon appetito!!

Homemade Traditional Italian Focaccia Bread with Rosemary

This homemade rosemary focaccia bread is at least as soft as it looks

and for sure as delicious as one that you'd find in a bakery in Italy. Trust me!

I absolutely love freshly-baked bread. The mouth-watering aroma and the irresistible flavor of right-out-of-the-oven bread is unique and unmatchable.
Any time I visit my family back in Italy I always eat a lot of bread. It's in the long list of things I must have while I'm there, next to pizza from my favorite pizzeria, pastries, desserts and cookies from my favorite pasticceria... and a lot more!
In Italy it's customary to buy fresh bread from the panificio (bakery) around the corner every day to serve with lunch, snack or dinner. Yes! Every. Single. Day. But Sundays, of course!  That's the way I grew up and, I have to say, one of the thing I really miss. Here in the States there is no such habit, for some reason I have yet to figure out.
Anyways, I have said many times that I would like to start baking bread on a regular basis. Why not?!? It's no harder than the pizza dough I prepare quite often. So this weekend, I made for the first time this rosemary focaccia bread.  I looked at several Italian recipes on line, and came up with this one. I have to say: it was a big hit at the dinner table, and it turned out surprisingly perfect: thick, flat, soft, with the sweet flavor of fresh rosemary and extra virgin olive oil. As soft and delicious as I would find in a great bakery in Italy. I'm serious. First time I baked it, and for sure not the last time!

Ingredients: to make a 9 x 12 in focaccia bread

• 1 medium russet potato (mine was 6.5 oz, 185 gr)
• 2.5 cups (400 gr) of bread flour
• 2 teaspoons (7 gr) of active dry yeast
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 2 teaspoons (12 gr) of salt
• 10 fl oz (300 ml) of water
• coarse sea salt (I used lava black sea salt) to sprinkle on top

Preparation time: about 4 hours (35 minutes to prepare, three hours inactive, 25 minutes baking)

Directions:
1. Cook the potato (peeled) in slightly salted water. It should take about 20 minutes. Test with a fork for readiness.
2. In a large bowl add the flour, yeast, sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and most of the rosemary leaves chopped in small pieces. Save one rosemary sprig for the end.  Pass the potato (when still hot) through a ricer into the bowl.

3. Dissolve the salt in 10 fl oz of warm water. Add to the bowl. Mix with a spoon first, until most of the flour is absorbed. Once the dough come together, move it to a clean, lightly floured counter and knead for a few minutes, pushing with your palm down and forward. The dough should be sightly sticking to your hand. Add some flour if too sticky, or add a tiny bit of water if too hard to work.
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Keep it in a warm place. As I do for my pizza dough, I place it in the oven (turned off obviously!). Let the dough rise for about an hour and a half.

4. Line a 9 x 12 in baking pan with parchment paper. Place the dough on the paper, and flatten it down with your fingers. Sprinkle with sea salt and the remaining rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil. With your finger, punch some holes around the dough, just like in the picture.
Put the pan back in the off-oven, and let the dough rise for another hour and a half, or so.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees. Bake the focaccia bread for about 25 minutes, until slightly golden on top.

Cut in squares and serve warm or at room temperature ... always delicious! Enjoy!