Focaccia
This is an Italian flat bread and comes to me from a very good friend in the US, and she got this recipe (and makes it often) from her lifetime friends who are in fact Italian, and direct from Italy, so I would say this recipe is very authentic. This is a no knead bread and is baked in a 9x13 pan. I made this on 15 May 2018, the very day I received this recipe. For the term I use, proofing, that is the same as rising.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- butter, cubed, as needed
- salt, as needed
- butter, melted, as needed
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the water, salt, sugar, and yeast, stir together then let sit on the counter for 5 minutes. While that is siting, measure out the 4 cups of flour into another large mixing bowl.
- To the yeast mixture, add 1 cup of flour (from the bowl with flour) and mix that in, a sturdy spoon can be used for this whole process.
- Then add another cup of flour from the bowl and mix, then another, then the last of the flour. The mixture will be a big sticky flour ball.
- Take the bowl the flour was in, wipe that out, then lightly spray with olive oil or lightly coat with butter. Roll out the sticky dough from the first mixing bowl to the lightly oiled/greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a dry towel and let rise for 3 hours. This photo is after 3 hours.
- Lightly flour your hands and punch down the dough.
- Roll out the dough into a 9x13 inch well buttered baking dish, and spread it out on bottom of the dish.
- Poke holes in the dough. In each hole, place a chunk of butter. Lightly salt the top.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until it has doubled. Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Photo is after proofing.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, remove and smear softened butter all over the top. Then place back in the oven until golden brown. Remove the dish and place on a rack to cool.
