Making Focaccia

This is a fantastic visual walkthrough on how to make Focaccia.

I top my dough with olive oil, basil, and crushed garlic instead of the fresh rosemary and salt they use here.... toppings are a matter of taste, there are no set rules for making Focaccia. I have heard that topping with cheese before baking can lead to over browning of the cheese and a bitter taste. I sometimes add Feta cheese before the final baking though with great results.

This Focaccia is great by itself, with Bruschetta, or just about any thing really. I have used Focaccia in place of pizza dough in my Mediterranean Pizza recipe (listed below in the recipe section). Simply prepare the Focaccia as directed, but before taking it off the pan to put directly on your oven rack, top with the pizza ingredients.

Focaccia freezes well, so it is easy to make several "personal size" Focaccia at one time and freeze them for future use, but since they are so easy to make, I prefer to make them up as needed.

Here is the basic recipe for the Focaccia that is made on this video, transfered into American terminology.... I did not list any of the topping ingredients, because tastes vary. And of course you will need extra olive oil for drizzling on top.

NOTE: He uses the sugar to "feed the yeast" however, the sugar is not essential....you can omit the sugar and let the yeast proof in the warm water for 5 minutes, then gently stir the yeast to dissolve completely.

Ingredients

2 tsp. dry yeast and 1 tsp honey or sugar
3/4 cup warm water
3 3/4 cups white bread flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil