Focaccia Bread

Emma Bittner | June 14, 2020

Everything you’ll need:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/14 teaspoons active dry yeast (or one packet)
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon minced oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup marinated onions
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

If we are honest, quarantine has turned all of us into a baker in some form. After combining a half dozen recipes, I’ve finally nailed down the easiest and best focaccia bread recipe.

To start, you need to activate your yeast. This sounds like it would be overly complicated, but you just need to combine your yeast with a cup of warm water and mix it. Let it sit and bloom for 5-10 minutes, and you’re all set. While the yeast activates, go ahead and incorporate some of your dry ingredients, 1 cup of flour, your dry herbs of choice (I went for garlic powder and oregano), and salt in a bowl.

Once your yeast has bloomed, go ahead and pour it into your dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of oil. Stir this, so things start to combine and add your remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour. At this point, I also add my minced garlic. Mix these until things are mostly combined, then plop the dough on a floured surface and need it 10-15 times until little dough ball forms.

In a well-oiled bowl, place the dough and cover it for two hours to rise in a warm, dry place, I usually put it on the top of my oven.

After your dough has nearly doubled in size, you will transfer it to a well-oiled pan. You can use a 13×9 pan or just a regular cookie sheet; it makes no difference. Once you place the dough on the pan, you will flatten and spread it to the edges and make sure it fits in the corners. Once again, you will cover the dough with a towel and let it rise for another 20 minutes. It will be about an inch thick. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place the tough on top as the heat will help it rise.

Now that your dough has risen a second time, the fun begins. Using your fingers, press little dimples into the dough and douse it with your remaining olive oil. The oil will pool in the small crevices, and that’s what we want. Once it is oiled up, you can add your toppings. You can add anything to your focaccia bread, but I went ahead and added marinated onions and a layer of mozzarella cheese.

After you’ve topped your bread with everything, you can pop it in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Once your 20 minutes is up, let the bread cool and eat to your heart’s content.