This bread pairs perfectly with pasta and other saucy Italian dishes! And it can be used to make delectable sandwiches!
Focaccia is a common style of oven-baked flat bread in Italian cuisine. It was thought to have originated from the Etruscan people. The Etruscans ran a civilization in ancient Italy starting around 900 BC. Focaccia can be a table bread, an appetizer, an antipasto, a sandwich bread, or a snack. It is similar in texture to pizza dough. Focaccia al rosmarino means focaccia with rosemary in Italian. It is the most common of the focaccia styles.
One of my favorite parts of any farmer’s market is the booth full of bread. I always get excited seeing all the different types of bread on display. I am always interested in discovering if they have any focaccia available. I believe it pairs so well with Italian cuisine. Sometimes I just dip it in olive oil and eat it as a snack. I decided to try my luck at creating my favorite rosemary focaccia at home and was very pleased with the results! I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Focaccia Recipe
Yields 1 loaf
Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Inactive Time 105 minutes
Active Time 10-15 minutes
Bake Time 20-30 minutes
Ingredients
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 F/ 45 C)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, separated and some extra for greasing
1 teaspoon coarse kosher sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced and separated
Directions
Mix together the yeast and water in a large bowl. Wait 10 minutes.
Carefully add the flour, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt into, and 1 tablespoon of rosemary to the bowl.
Roll onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, until dough is elastic.
Grease the bowl with olive oil. Place dough in the bowl and lightly grease with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm place for 1 hour. (Dough should be almost double in size).
Punch down the dough. Dump into greased 8 x 8 inch baking pan.
Cover the pan with a towel and place in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 F
Poke little dimples into the dough with your fingers. Spread 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt into, and 1 tablespoon of rosemary evenly on the surface of the dough.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden. Cool slightly before slicing.
Serve warm with Alfredo pasta or Ragu Bolognese pasta.
This bread is also wonderful to use for panini sandwiches!
Variation: substitute sage for the rosemary to make focaccia alla salvia.
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