Rosemary and Parmesan Focaccia Bread

I am very excited to share this recipe! It was one of my favorites from this past week! I absolutely LOVED this bread and thought it was VERY easy to make. We had decided on panini's for dinner the other night when we were "scheduled' to have leftovers, but didn't have enough to make a meal of. So I decided to make some bread for the paninis and we love the rosemary focaccia from Target for paninis, so I thought I'd try to find something similar. I looked through All Recipes and came across "Easy Focaccia" which sounded about right to me! I started the bread about 2 hours before I wanted to have dinner ready, and the timing worked well - each step took about as long as the directions suggested they would.

I didn't have bread flour, so I used all AP flour, and used dried rosemary instead of fresh, but otherwise followed instructions and ingredients.

I combined the dry ingredients in my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl.

Don't you love how I try to minimize clean up by using my teaspoons and tablespoons to mix?! :D

In went the packet of Active Dry yeast in the middle of the "well" I created.

The sugar was added on top of the yeast.

And the warm water was added. I set a timer and let that sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast mixture was starting to get creamy and a little foamy.

The olive oil was added next.

I let the mixer do all the work, and used it to combine the ingredients.

A little bit of olive oil was put in a bowl while the mixer worked.

I had to scrape down the sides, and then let it knead the dough a few minutes, but not for too long.

The dough ball went into the bowl and was coated completely with the oil then covered and allowed to rise.

I prepped the baking sheet with some olive oil.

When the dough was ready, I punched it down (that part is fun!!) :)

I put the dough on the baking sheet and gently patted it out.

Next came the "dimpling" which I felt like I had no clue what I was doing - but I followed directions and guess this is what I was supposed to do!

A little more olive oil for the top.

And that was followed by the sprinkling of rosemary and Parmesan. I crushed the rosemary in my hand as I sprinkled it over the top (I didn't measure either - just tried to give an even, light coating of both).

The pan went into the oven with a pan of hot water underneath it and was allowed to rise for another 20 minutes or so. When it looked ready, I turned the oven on and set the timer.

About 25 minutes later this beautiful, golden loaf emerged!

I was SO excited that I had made this yummy and pretty bread! I loved the light, flaky texture and the light flavorful crust.

I assembled a few sandwiches with some Swiss, roast beef, BBQ sauce, light mayo and tomatoes and put those on the panini press (no oiling necessary).

They came out beautifully about 3-4 minutes later.

Another very tasty meal, and a fantastic bread loaf to keep in the "favorite" stack. My son really enjoyed this bread as well, and asked to use it for sandwiches to school until it was gone. Definitely a keeper!

Recipe slightly adapted from All Recipes.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or about 1-2 TBS dried, hand crushed)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast into that well. Carefully pour the water into the well. Let stand until the yeast begins to act, about 5 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the well. With a wooden spoon stir the mixture in the center of the bowl. Gradually widen the circle of stirring to take in all of the flour at the sides of the well. (Or mix using stand mixer, and scrape down the sides as necessary).

Turn out on a floured surface, and knead just until smooth. (Or allow stand mixer to knead dough for a few minutes, until smooth.) Keep the dough soft. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of the oil into a clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to oil the top. Cover. Let rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

Punch the dough down. Use 1 teaspoon of the oil to coat a baking sheet, and place the dough on the baking sheet. Gently press the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over the top of the dough. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to dimple the dough at 1 1/2 inch intervals. Sprinkle with the rosemary and the cheese. Place in a cold oven on the center shelf. Place a flat pan of hot water on the shelf below the bread. Let rise until doubled, 20 to 25 minutes.

Turn on the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned on top. Remove from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.