Garlic, Olives and Dried Mixed Herbs Focaccia

An old recipe rehashed to make a new one.  That's what this one is. We were having soup for dinner and I wanted to make a simple bread to go with it.

I decided to try my Tomato Rosemary Focaccia recipe but with garlic, olives and dried herbs. It did not take me too long and the result was yum. I am reposting the recipe here with the changes.

You need:

• 1.5 cups lukewarm water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3.5 cups bread flour
• 1 tbsp yeast
• A large handful of sliced black olives
• 2 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped
• Less 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• More olive oil
• 2-3 pinches coarse salt

Steps:

• Add the first five ingredients into a bowl.
• Beat it for about one minute till it all comes together into a sticky dough.
• Line a 11" x 9" tray with parchment paper and coat it liberally with olive oil.
• Scoop the dough into the tray.
•  Spread the dough into all four corners. Make small indents on the surface with your fingers.
• Cover the tray with cling wrap and set aside for about 1 hour for it to rise.
• After it has risen, arrange the olive slices on the dough.
• Sprinkle the chopped garlic, herbs and coarse salt. Drizzle with olive oil on top.

• Preheat the oven to 190degrees C. Place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes.
• Let it cool for 5 minutes and then turn it out into a wire rack to cool.
• Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

• I cut 2" x 1" thin slices of the left over focaccia and toasted it in the oven till crisp. The kids loved to dip it in their soup and crunch on it.

Tomato Rosemary Focaccia

Bread making has become an addiction. I keep searching for simple, new recipes that do not take much of an effort to make.

I wanted to make bread with this recipe that I had bookmarked almost a month back. I had a packet of fresh rosemary that I had picked up at the grocery store last week. I thought of using it with tomatoes in the bread. 

You need:

• 1.5 cups lukewarm water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3.5 cups bread flour
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 sprigs of rosemary coarsely chopped
• More olive oil
• Coarse Salt - I forgot to add this

Steps:

• Add the first five ingredients into a bowl.

 

• Beat it for about one minute till it all comes together into a sticky dough.

• Coat a 11" x 9" tray liberally with olive oil.
• Scoop the dough into the tray.

•  Spread the dough into all four corners. Make small indents on the surface with your fingers.

• Cover the tray with cling wrap and set aside for about 1 hour for it to rise.
• After it has risen, cut thin slices of the tomatoes and arrange on the dough.
• Sprinkle the chopped rosemary and coarse salt and drizzle with olive oil on top.

• Preheat the oven to 190degrees C. Place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes.
• Let it cool for 5 minutes and then turn it out into a wire rack to cool.

• Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

• I baked it for 35 minutes. I think 30 minutes would have been enough. I would have preferred it a little less brown.
• The crust of the bread was crisp and the inside was perfectly soft.
• I forgot to add coarse salt. It tasted good, but a bit of the salt would have made it better.
• I did not line the tray with baking paper. It was a bit of a trouble to turn out the bread without breaking it. The next time I would surely line the tray.
• You can use a little larger tray. Your bread will come out thinner.