Focaccia Bread

Friends, the oven phobic me at last baked bread. I was searching in Google for bread recipes and this Italian bread caught all my attention due to the addition of herbs. This bread can be adjusted according to your taste. In authentic recipe they use Italian herbs (basil, Thyme, oregano, rosemary). I had only dried basil at home, so I made few variations in topping by mixing fennel, basil and chili flakes.

Focaccia is a flat oven baked Italian bread, which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients. Focaccia bread is related to pizza, but not considered to be the same. It is typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in a stone bottom or hearth oven .These breads are often punctured with a knife to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread (Source Wikipedia).

INGREDIENTS:

All purpose flour 1 ½ cups

Whole wheat flour 1 ½ cups (Not chapathi flour)

Active dry yeast 1 tsp

Sugar 1 tsp

Water 1 cup

Olive oil 2 Tblsp

Salt 1 tsp

Herbs of your choice (I used basil and fennel)

Red chili flakes 1 tsp

METHOD:

1) Add active dry yeast and sugar in ½ cup warm water (105 to 115F). Keep aside for 5 mins.

2) In a large bowl mix together flour, salt, 1 tblsp olive oil and yeast to form slightly sticky dough (Adjust flour accordingly).

3) Then cover the dough and let it rest for 1 hour.

4) After one hour the dough will be doubled in size.

5) Grease a baking tray with 1 tsp olive oil and spread the dough evenly. Then brush the remaining olive oil over the top, sprinkle little salt, chili flakes and herb mixture.

6) Then let the dough rise for another 30 mins.

7) Then slightly puncture the dough with a knife or fork to avoid bubbling.

8) Preheat the oven to 450F.

9) Usually the bread is baked on a baking stone as I do not have baking stone used normal baking tray to bake.

10) Bake the bread for 15 mins at 450F and bake again for another 15 mins or until the crust become golden color at 350F.

11) Let the bread cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve this wonderful tasting bread with soup or it tastes great by itself.

This goes to Its a Vegan World: A Food Event hosted by Vaishali