There is nothing like freshly baked bread, of any kind. And there is a real pride when you manage to do it yourself. That being said, I find a lot of traditional bread recipes a little too intimidating and technical for me, so I am always looking for the easy way out. Hence this unbelievably simple method for making focaccia. The base recipe comes from the fine folks at King Arthur Flour, and I have been making versions of this for years. It never fails to impress when you pull out a handmade, fresh pan of golden focaccia from the oven, and of course the scent of baking bread makes everyone happy.
I share here my favorite iteration of my many experiments with the recipe. I think it is perfect for fall, scattered with toasty walnuts, rich blue cheese and woodsy rosemary. Generous squares of this can make a decadent accompaniment to a roast dinner or a meal served beside a hearty salad. The olive oil in the bread makes butter unnecessary. This is best served warm, and though I always try to give instructions for making something ahead, this recipe is so easy, there really is no need. You can have the dough spread in the pan and topped and the bowl washed and put away before your guests arrive or dinner is ready, then pop it in the oven. Use the instant yeast from a jar rather than the packets of active dry yeast for this. You’ll find this so amazing to make, that you’ll add it to your repertoire and use that yeast in no time.
- Olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- ½ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- 1 Tablespoon very finely chopped rosemary
- flaky salt and black pepper for topping
- Pour 2 Tablespoons of olive oil into a 9 by 13 inch metal baking pan. Swirl to coat the pan.
- Put the yeast, warm water, salt, 3 Tablespoon of olive oil and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium for 60 seconds, until you have a cohesive but sticky dough. Dump the dough into the oiled pan and use your fingers to spread it out. Don’t worry too much about getting it to the edges of the pan; rising will take care of that. Cover the pan with a tea towel and leave at room temperature to rise for one hour. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet until brown and fragrant and quickly remove to a plate to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 375. When the dough has risen and is nice and puffy, sprinkle the walnuts and crumbled cheese evenly over the top of the dough. Sprinkle over the rosemary, then a generous grinding of pepper and some flaky salt. Lightly press everything into the dough, then make three rows of three indentions in the dough by pressing you thumb into the dough to make a little divot. Drizzle over about a tablespoon more olive oil, then bake for 30 – 35 minutes until golden and firm.
- Leave the focaccia to cool for a few minutes before slicing, but serve warm.
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