I have been in a major bread making mood. I love watching the bread rise, kneading the dough, and to be honest I love how much work some breads are to make. I love that I can work on the bread for hours as it helps meet my baking need. A meal that comes together in 5 minutes just doesn't speak to the baker in me anymore. Now I still love a quick meal but when I have the time to enjoy making food I really want to enjoy it.
This foccacia wasn't difficult to make but it sure was good and fun to make. I served it with bison steaks and fire roasted veggies from Trader Joes.Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1 cup warm water
- 1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1 tomato seeded and diced
- 1 clove garlic smashed
- Fresh basil
- 2-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, or as needed
- 1-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Dissolve honey in the warm water in a large bowl, then sprinkle yeast over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to foam. Stir in salt, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, onions, and 2.5 cups of flour until the dough comes together. Knead on a well floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add half of the tomatoes and enough flour so the dough is tacky but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 415 degrees F (215 degrees C).
- Place dough onto oiled baking dish, and flatten to cover the whole dish evenly. Use the tips of your fingers to make indentations all over the dough spaced about 1 inch apart. Drizzle the focaccia with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle rosemary, Parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, and remaining tomatoes. Let rise for 10 minutes
- Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes until golden brown.
