Focaccia Bread

I made Focaccia bread for the first time yesterday and I was really happy with how it turned out.After the bread was done, I sliced it half and made Italian inspired sandwiches:

• A layer of basil parmesan pesto on the inside of each piece of bread
• bacon pieces
• provolone
• smoked turkey deli slices

Then I sliced the large sandwiches into smaller ones. Their weren't too many left at the end of the night and the leftovers were better:)

As for the Focaccia:

• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 package active dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp
• 2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• (optional- 1 Tbsp of crushed Italian seasoning)
  

1. In a large bowl, dissolve honey and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup flour, salt, and 3 tablespoons olive oil to the yeast mixture. (This is where if you want you can add the Italian seasoning) Stir until combined and then work in the last cup of flour. Knead the dough until smooth, elastic, and soft, about 7 minutes. Add only enough flour to keep the dough from being sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
   
   
   
   
3. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Place in greased 9x13 inch pan or baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
   
   
   
   
4. Poke dimples in the bread and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

It's really pretty simple to make...a bit time consuming but well worth it. Hope you'll get to try this!

Coming soon: Sandwichon!