Ever go to a restaurant and they bring out some awesome bread to start you off? And it's so fantastic that you fill up on it before your meal even gets there? That's me and my horrible obsession with certain chain's Focaccia Bread. You know, that one with the fantastic crusty bread and yummy olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce? And since I don't have mile deep pockets and can't go there just for the bread, I have to do something else - make my own!
One of the aspects of restaurant Focaccia Bread is that it is light and soft on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Sorry, but in my opinion, bread should have a wonderful crispy crust. I spent some time in France during my Senior year of high school, and I just fell in love with the bread there. And that's exactly what it was - light and soft inside and crispy on the outside. To get that, you need to give the bread a nice little egg wash before baking it.
Focaccia Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 Tbs. yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cup bread flour
1 Tbs. rosemary
1 egg
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar. Let sit to allow yeast to work and become foamy. Add olive oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix until dough is smooth.
2. Add rosemary and remaining flour. Knead for 5 minutes or until rosemary and remaining flour are incorporated and dough is smooth. Grease a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 2 hours or until double in size.
3. Remove dough from bowl and divide in half. Using hands, make each piece into a round, about 8 inches in diameter. Place on ungreased cookie/baking sheet. Lay a towel over dough and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk egg in a small bowl and brush over the top of dough rounds. Place baking sheet in oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 2 loafs, Serves 8