If you’ve ever wanted to fill your kitchen with the smell of fresh baked bread but were daunted by the process, try focaccia bread. It’s ready in under an hour and it goes well with soups, pasta dishes, or as a pizza crust. This version tops the bread up with garlic, thinly sliced onion, Parmesan cheese, and bacon bits, but the bread is great plain, too.
Dough:
2 3/4 cups – flour
1 tsp – salt
1 tsp – sugar
1 Tbsp – yeast
1 Tbsp– olive oil
1 cup – lukewarm water
Pinch of dried basil (optional)
Pinch of dried oregano (optional)
Toppings: (optional)
2 minced garlic cloves
5–6 thin slices of onion
1/4 cup – Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup – bacon bits
1. Grease pan or pizza stone with oil, and set aside.
2. Proof the yeast: mix the yeast, sugar and lukewarm water in a bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes or until yeast is foamy.
3 . Mix in olive oil, salt, oregano, basil, and flour. Kneed until dough is in a ball and no longer sticky. Let dough rise for 20 minutes.
4. Turn oven on at 450F.
5. Place the ball of dough in the greased pan or pizza stone, punching it down until it is about 2 inches thick.
6. Place toppings evenly on dough.
7. Bake for 15 minutes at 450F or until golden brown.