Focaccia With Rosemary Olives Recipes

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Pierce potato several times with fork. Microwave on high until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. Cut in half. Scoop flesh into small bowl; mash well. Measure 2/3 cup (packed) mashed potato; cool (reserve extra potato for another use).
• Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, half of rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt in processor; blend until rosemary is chopped, about 1 minute. Add potato; blend in, using about 25 on/off turns. Combine 1 cup warm water and sugar in 2-cup glass measuring cup; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir 3 tablespoons oil into yeast mixture. With processor running, pour yeast mixture into flour mixture. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until dough feels silky, sprinkling with more flour as needed, about 1 minute. Place dough in large oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with towel; let rise in warm area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Brush large baking sheet with oil. Punch down dough; knead 30 seconds on lightly floured surface. Stretch or pat out dough to 12-inch round. Transfer round to prepared baking sheet. Press dough all over with fingertips to dimple. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Press olive halves, cut side down, into dough. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let rise until just puffy, about 20 minutes.
• Bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FOCACCIA WITH ROSEMARY AND OLIVE OIL TOPPING

Steps:

• This is my favorite Italian flatbread.
• Stage 1: Dissolve the yeast and honey (or sugar) in half the tepid water.
• Stage 2: On your largest available clean surface (even a big bowl will do if surfaces are limited), make a pile of flour in the center of the flour, semolina flour, and salt. With one hand, make a well in the center. (If possible, it is preferable to warm the flour and semolina flour.)
• Stage 3: Pour all the dissolved yeast mixture into the well and with four fingers of one hand make circular movements, from the center working outward, slowly bringing in more and more of the dry ingredients until all the yeast mixture is soaked up. Then pour the other half of the tepid water into the center and gradually incorporate all the flour to make a moist dough. (Certain flours may need a little more water, so don't be afraid to adjust the quantities.)
• Stage 4: Kneading! This is the best bit, just rolling, pushing and folding the dough over and over for 5 minutes. This develops the structure of the dough and the gluten. If any of the dough sticks to your hands, just rub them together with a little extra flour.
• (You can do Stages 2, 3 and 4 in an electric mixer if you like, using the dough hook attachment.)
• Stage 5: Flour both your hands now, and lightly flour the top of the dough. Make it into a roundish shape and place on a baking tray. Score the dough with a knife--this allows it to relax and proof (rise) more quickly.
• Stage 6: Leave the bread to rise for the first time. Basically, we want it to double in size. (This is probably the best time to preheat the oven: 475 degrees F for focaccia.) You want a warm, moist, draft-free place for the quickest rise, for example near the stove, or just in a warm room. You can cover with plastic wrap if you want to speed it up. This process matures the flour flavor and should take approximately 40 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the conditions.
• Stage 7: Right, it's double the size and time to punch it down. Knead and punch the dough, knocking all the air out of it, for about a minute. Then split the dough into half or quarters. Roll or push it out to an oval shape roughly 11/3 cm/ (1/2-inch) thick; don't fuss around for perfection, it's supposed to be rough and rustic, so what a great excuse for a beginner! Place on a baking tray liberally dusted with semolina flour.
• Make your rosemary and olive oil topping by bashing and bruising a handful of rosemary and 3 cloves of garlic using a rolling pin. Mix together with some olive oil and salt, and squeeze mixture over the bread. Finally, make those characteristic holes by pushing all you fingers deep into the dough many times, which allows the flavor of the topping to penetrate. Leave to proof for 45 minutes until about 3cm 1 1/4 inches) high.
• Bake for about 15 minutes at your oven's highest temperature until ready. As soon as the focaccia comes out of the oven feed it with a good drizzle of olive oil and a light scattering of sea salt. You can eat the focaccia as soon as it has slightly cooled.

ROSEMARY - GARLIC FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together yeast, sugar and 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water and proof yeast for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
• Stir in 4 cup of flour, 1 tblsps of the olive oil and the salt, adding as much of the remaining flour as necessary to form a soft and slightly sticky dough.
• Transfer to a lightly-oiled bowl, turn to coat, and let rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until double in size. Knead dough down and press with lightly-oiled hands into a well-oiled 15 ½ x 10 ½ inch jelly-roll pan and let it rise, covered loosely, for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set rack in center of oven.
• Dimple dough with your fingers in places, drizzle 2 tblsps olive oil over and spread over dough; sprinkle with rosemary, garlic and sea salt.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Note: I often make up the garlic/oil/rosemary mixture one or two days ahead of time and refrigerate it. Dried oregano is also a GREAT add-in.

BLACK OLIVE AND ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Stir together the water, sugar, and yeast until dissolved, allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 cup rosemary, flour, and salt until a dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Gently knead in the black olives during the last few minutes of kneading. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet, or sprinkle liberally with corn meal.
• Deflate dough, and press into prepared baking sheet. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss sliced tomatoes, and garlic with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with 2 tablespoons minced rosemary, salt, and pepper. Arrange the tomato slices over the dough in an even layer. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden brown; 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

OLIVE AND ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, garlic powder and water until stiff dough forms. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Place dough on surface sprinkled with Bisquick mix; gently roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 50 times.
• On ungreased cookie sheet, press or roll dough into 8-inch round. Sprinkle olives over dough; press lightly into dough. Sprinkle with rosemary.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Brush oil over top. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into 16 wedges with serrated knife.

EASY ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine 5 tablespoons warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• Add flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the yeast mixture; stir well to combine. Stir in 1 tablespoon additional water at a time, if necessary, until all flour is absorbed and mixture has pulled together into a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until springy, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl. Place 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 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 465 degrees F (240 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Deflate dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly, then pat or roll dough into a sheet and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with remaining oil and make dimples across the surface with your fingertips. Sprinkle with rosemary leave and extra salt to taste.
• Bake in the preheated oven to desired crispness, about 10 minutes for light and fluffy or 20 minutes for crunchier and darker on the outside.

OLIVE, ROSEMARY, AND ONION FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook stir together the yeast, the sugar, and 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water and proof the yeast mixture for 5 minutes, or until it is foamy. Stir in 4 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, and 2 tablespoons of the oil and knead the dough, scraping down the dough hook occasionally and adding as much of the remaining 1/2 cup flour as necessary to form a soft, slightly sticky dough, for 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn it to coat it with the oil, and let it rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is double in bulk. Knead in the chopped rosemary, press the dough with lightly oiled hands into a well-oiled 15 1/2- by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan, and let it rise, covered loosely, for 30 minutes. The dough may be made 8 hours in advance and kept covered and chilled.
• Dimple the dough with your fingertips, making 1/4-inch-deep indentations, brush it with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and top it with the onion, the olives, the salt, and the whole rosemary leaves. Bake the focaccia in the bottom third of a preheated 400°F. oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until it is golden and cooked through. Transfer the focaccia to a rack, let it cool for 10 minutes, and serve it, cut into squares, warm or at room temperature.