recipe: focaccia

for something i love so much, i really don’t make a lot of homemade bread. and by not a lot, i mean i can count the times i’ve made it in my life on one hand.

when we were snowed in this past week, i had a craving for warm, doughy fresh bread, and there was none to be found. but alas, we had a package of yeast in the house, which was the inspiration for this focaccia. i found this easy recipe in the january issue of food & wine, and changed it slightly to accomodate what we had in the house. the bread was best the day it was made, but was also nice when reheated the next day. 

recipe: rosemary, onion, garlic and feta focaccia

makes one 9×13 loaf

ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese (optional)

directions

1. in a large bowl, combine the water, yeast and honey and let stand for 5 minutes. stir in 1 cup of the flour and 1/4 cup of the oil; let stand for 5 minutes. stir in the remaining flour and the salt and knead until smooth. transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let stand for 1 hour.
2. meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. add the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.
3. preheat the oven to 450°. oil a 9-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet. transfer the dough to the sheet and press it down to fit. dimple the dough all over with your fingers and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. let the dough rise until puffed, about 20 minutes.
4. Scatter the onions, garlic, rosemary and feta over the dough, topping with a little bit more olive oil. bake for 20 minutes, until golden. transfer to a rack to cool.

kneading the dough is definitely the most tedious part, but if you don’t think about the flour-y mess you’re creating in your kitchen, it’s actually kind of fun!

i had to really push, stretch and spread the dough around with my fingers to make it fit the whole pan.

warm and gooey focaccia bread, right out of the oven. waiting for it to cool slightly was the hardest part..