The Simplicity of Home-made Focaccia

If you love home-made bread but are intimidated by the process, try this recipe for focaccia--a flat Italian-style yeast bread that's savory, chewy, and perfect for accompanying soups, salads, roast chicken, fish . . . plus it warms up the house in the winter and smells great. Best of all, it's an almost fool-proof recipe. And quick. I started it at 3:30 this afternoon and pulled it out of the oven at 5:30, fragrant and piping hot.

My version is wheat-free, as we have wheat allergies at our house (I put organic whole spelt grain into my grinder and enjoy the fresh, light flour). But you can use white or whole-grain wheat flour for traditional results.

Rosemary Focaccia

1 pkg yeast (1 scant Tbsp.)
1 to 1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
4 c. flour (whole-grain, white, or a mixture of both)
1 tsp. salt
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp. dried)
coarse salt (such as kosher salt)

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 c. warm water in a small container, and let it sit about ten minutes, until it starts to foam. In the meantime, combine 2 c. of the flour with the 1 tsp. salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast/water mixture and the rest of the warm water, and beat with a wooden spoon for at least 100 strokes. Gradually add another cup of flour, beating well. Then add the final cup of flour gradually, mixing by hand and kneading with your fists until the dough is smooth, about three or four minutes. If the dough is too sticky and wet to handle, add a little more flour; if it's too stiff to handle easily, add a little more water. (Focaccia dough is very forgiving.)

Remove the dough from the bowl and pour a Tbsp. of olive oil in, then put the dough back in and roll it around a little to cover the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with a clean, dry towel and put in a warm place to rise. It should be doubled in size after about one hour. Punch it down with your fists and spread it on a flat baking pan that's been oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. You can shape it oblong or circular or square, about 1" thick. Dimple the top with your fingertips, then brush about 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary and a little coarse salt. Cover and let sit for ten minutes or so while the oven is heating up. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

For a more savory bread, add a Tbsp. of dried onions to the bread dough when kneading, and throw in a little of the rosemary as well. Sprinkle some grated aged Parmesan cheese over the top just before baking.