There is something about homemade bread that I find intoxicating. Maybe it's the glass of wine I wash it down with. Betty Crapper loves her daily glass of wine.
Regardless, there's something special about bread you make yourself. This recipe is easy, but time consuming. Those of you without a stand mixer are in luck. The only fancy equipment you need to make the dough is a bowl and a wooden spoon. A rubber spatula plays a minor role. I promise it's really easy.
Betty Crapper doesn't lie.
The bread gets baked in two 9-inch cake rounds placed on top of a super hot baking stone. If you don't have a baking stone, use an upside down, preheated rimmed baking sheet.
Rosemary Focaccia
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated (September/October 2010)
(makes two 9-inch round loaves)
Biga
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) warm water (100-110 F)
1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
Dough
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) warm water (100-110 F)
1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Process
- The day before, combine biga ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute. You should have a uniform mass with no dry flour.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours (up to 24 hours).
- For the dough, stir flour, water, and yeast into the biga with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute. You should have a uniform mass with no dry flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 15 minutes.
- Add 2 teaspoons Kosher salt to dough and stir with wooden spoon about 1 minute.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.
- Spray rubber spatula with nonstick cooking spray.
- With rubber spatula, fold dough over itself 8 times as follows:
- lift an edge of dough with spatula and fold it towards the middle.
- turn bowl 90 degrees.
- repeat, repeat, repeat......until you've folded dough over 8 times.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.
- With rubber spatula, fold dough over itself 8 times as follows:
- lift an edge of dough with spatula and fold it towards the middle.
- turn bowl 90 degrees.
- repeat, repeat, repeat......until you've folded dough over 8 times.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.
- With rubber spatula, fold dough over itself 8 times as follows:
- lift an edge of dough with spatula and fold it towards the middle.
- turn bowl 90 degrees.
- repeat, repeat, repeat... until you've folded dough over 8 times.
- Place oven rack in upper middle position. Place baking stone on rack and preheat oven to 500 F.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured surface (counter). BE GENTLE!
- Lightly dust top of dough with flour and divide in half.
- Shape each piece into a 5 inch round by GENTLY tucking under edges.
- Coat two 9 inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each.
- Sprinkle each pan with 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt.
- Place each round of dough in a pan, top side down. Slide dough around pan to coat with oil and then flip dough over.
- Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rise 5 minutes at room temperature.
- Press dough out towards edge of pan with your fingertips. If dough resists, let rest 5-10 minutes and try again.
- Grab a dinner fork and poke each dough 25-30 times. Make sure you pop any large bubbles.
- Sprinkle rosemary over top of dough.
- Let dough rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until slightly bubbly.
- Place pans on baking stone and immediately lower oven temperature to 450 F.
- Bake until top is golden brown 25-28 minutes. Switch pan placement on stone halfway through.
- Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack 5 minutes.
- Remove bread from pans and return to wire rack. If any oil remains in pan, brush that on loaves.
- Cool 30 minutes before serving.
I promise this focaccia recipe is worth all those annoying steps. I've made it a handful of times and it always come out fantastic.
How do you feel about bread?
