Rosemary Focaccia Bread

INGREDIENTS

Bread

1 tbsp yeast (or 1 packet)

1 cup lukewarm water

⅓ cup olive oil

2 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

3 cups unbleached flour

¼ cup cornmeal

Topping

3 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, ground in herb mill

1-2 tsp coarse salt

DIRECTIONS

Rising time is 90 minutes total. Preheat oven to 375*.

1. Fill a glass measuring cup (or bowl) with lukewarm water. Add yeast, sugar & olive oil. Let stand until yeast is bubbly.

2. Put flour & salt in food processor or mixer bowl. Add yeast mixture. Process or mix until dough forms a ball. If it's too wet, add flour. If it's too dry, add water.

3. Put dough in an oiled bowl. Turn it over so there's a little oil on the top & bottom of the ball of dough. Cover with a damp towel & let it raise for 1 hr.

4. Punch down dough.

5. Lightly oil a baking stone, then sprinkle it with cornmeal.

6. Place the ball of dough in the center of the baking stone. Use a marble rolling pin to roll it from the center outwards to create the desired shape. Let raise for 30 minutes.

7. Brush dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly ground rosemary. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

8. Poke it every 2 inches with your fingertip.

9. Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

10. Cool it on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then cut it on a cutting board using a pizza cutter or knife.

COOK'S TIPS

This recipe is very forgiving if you're in a hurry. Let the dough raise 30-60 minutes then put it on your prepared baking stone and roll it out. It will be a little harder to roll so let it rest a minute or two then try again. If you don't have time to let it raise a 2nd time just put it straight into the oven. It will be more dense and not as soft ... but still delicious!

If you don't have fresh Rosemary, use 1 tsp of dry.