This recipe yields a good quality bread with relatively little time commitment. Although my all-time favorite rosemary focaccia recipe is the "Acme Herb Slab" this is an excellent substitute if you do not have hours/days to commit to the craft. It yields a soft bread with a lightly crisp crust and tender crumb. I added 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp black pepper along with double the fresh rosemary. It smelled wonderful in the oven and looked professional when baked. The uses of this bread are plenty...pizza crust, breadsticks, sandwich bread, etc. I work as a professional baker and am something of a bead snob, but I was impressed by the results of this recipe.:-)
This is a wonderful recipe, but when I punched down the dough, I added Italian spice and parm to it so it was in the bread. This prevented the spices from darkening on top. I serve it with a plate of balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dipping...mmmm! I recommend this to everyone.
One thing: you can use a glass or metal bowl to mix this bread doesn't really have to be stoneware. This is a good basic focaccia.
I didn't have the olive oil I didn't let it raise twice & I didn't use the rosemary on top - used garlic & italian seasoning. IT WAS GREAT!!! My mind is spinning with the things I can use this recipe for - bread sticks that taste like Monical's for one!! Great Jack!
It was great! As I always recommend it doesn't hurt to add a little REAL garlic to both the dough and the topping. I serve with garlic butter. In a small skillet heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add 3 cloves of garlic 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper and cook sizzling gently for about 2 min. stirring occasionally. The garlic should soften and become fragrant but not brown. Put 1/4 cup unsalted butter in a small bowl and pour the oil and garlic over it. Blend until smooth enough to spread evenly.
The best Italian bread recipe I've ever made. I made it with all purpose flour & had to add an additional 1/2 cup; I followed What A Dish's suggestion & proofed the yeast in the warm water & sugar then added the dry ingredients & oil; I sauteed 1/2 cup onions in butter & drizzled them over the shaped dough which I let rise in and baked in a large cast iron skillet. Next time I'll spread it out on a baking sheet because it was pretty thick. The taste was fantastic. Another reviewer suggested that the bread is bland but left out the parmesan. I would definitely add the parmesan as per the recipe--it enhances the subtle flavor of the bread and certainly make it appear even more appetizing (see the picture!) This is on my permanent keeper list.
This focaccia is truly delicious. I topped it with white cheddar and chopped jalapenos. The "hot water in a cold oven" trick seems to be the key to getting it really tender and moist. I left the water in the oven even as focaccia was baking.
I was searching for a recipe to make the same delicious focaccia that they serve with ceasar salad in the restaurants and this recipes FAR exceeded my expectations. Truly delicious! I used dried rosemary and added it to the flour mixture right from the start along with an italian spice mix and a couple cloves of crushed garlic this made the bread very flavourful and aromatic! Yummy! My 3 year old even loves it!
Wonderful impressive easy. It will help you win friends and influence people. This is a delicious appetizer or snack when you top it with caramelized red onions and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.
Taste is OK. 375 is too low however after 30 minutes it wasn't close to being cooked. I would suggest more 425-450. I would definitely add some roasted garlic on top.
