Focaccia

This is based on an old King Arthur Flour recipe, Blitz Bread: No-Fuss Focaccia that my mother used to make all the time. I’ve cut the recipe in half so it fits an 8x8-inch pan. This is very tasty, so easy to make, and always comes out perfectly. It’s also very versatile: add any herbs for toppings, or even add them (or something like cheese powder) in with the dry ingredients. I like this with sea salt and fresh rosemary on top.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil to drizzle into the pan
• ¾ cup (170g) warm water
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil for the dough
• heavy half-teaspoon salt
• 1¾ cups (209g) all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons instant yeast

Instructions

1. Lightly grease an 8” x 8” pan, and drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil into the bottom. Do not line the pan.
2. Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.
3. Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, until it has become puffy.
4. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
5. Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger.
6. Drizzle it lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with pizza seasoning, and/or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired.
7. Bake the bread until it’s golden brown, 25-30 minutes (30 is usually perfect for me, on rack 3).
8. Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.