Galley Focaccia Bread

Mmm…more bread, I like bread. Having bread around in the galley makes it more ‘homey’ to me, which is probably why I have so many bread recipes. Focaccia bread has a special place for me though, it’s that quintessential side for most of my Italian inspired dishes, it’s not really good far anything like sandwiches and such but it’s great for pushing food onto a fork and sopping up all the yummy sauce at the end of a meal.

This recipe is quick and easy to knock out.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tbsp Dried Parsley
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• kosher or sea salt for finishing.

Extra Info:
Cook Time:

• 10 minutes of prep, 40 minutes of combined rest, 20 minutes cook time

Yields:

• One loaf

Notes:

• Most Focaccia recipes have Rosemary as a seasoning, you can add it if you want, personally I’m kind of burned out on rosemary. It’s a spice that I think has been over used in recent years so I’ve been omitting it lately.
• You can substitute the individual herbs with Italian seasoning if necessary. I’ve had to do that a few times and the results were satisfactory.

Instructions:

1. In a bowl mix together the warm water, sugar, and yeast and let it bloom (2-3 minutes).
2. Add in flour, salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley and olive oil and mix together.
3. Stir everything together till combines into a ball.
4. Lightly Knead dough for a few minutes to build up the bread structure, a minute or two is all that’s necessary.
5. Put dough back in bowl and cover.
6. Proof in a warm spot for about 20 min.
7. After proofing, the dough might be a little sticky, oil hands and turn dough out on to an oiled cooking sheet.
8. Press out dough into a round about 1 inch thick and proof for a second time (approximately 15-20 minutes).
9. Using a chop stick or something similar poke holes in dough about 1 inch apart.
10. Top loaf with some olive oil, course salt, Parmesan cheese, and any seasonings you would like and bake for 14-18 minutes in a 430F oven, till golden brown.
11. Transfer bread from cooking sheet to cooling rack and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
12. Slice and enjoy!!!

Bon Appétit,
Island Rambler