A Loaf of Focaccia

My second attempt at making bread produced a simple dough called Focaccia.  Once again it came from the book, “No Need to Knead.”

During the process I wasn't sure the dough was headed in the right direction.  To give it a chance to rise I let the dough sit on the counter for about forty minutes.  When that time was up it appeared to me the dough hadn't risen enough .  I continued to follow the instructions, although somewhat hesitantly, and prepared the skillet it was about to be put into.

Transferring the dough was also a bit worrisome because of how sticky it was.  It stretched to the max while being torn from it's death grip on the bowl.  At that moment my mind flashed back to the directions, advising to add more flour if it was too clingy.  I assumed that advice meant it would be ruined if I let the dough stay that sticky.  Unfortunately it was to late to fix it.  You can see I'm not that confident yet about my dough making abilities, nor do I have vast knowledge on the subject.  I put the dough in the oven and hoped for the best. 

I was not disappointed with the end result, and I think my family agreed it turned out fine.  The crumb was incredibly moist, and the flavor was perfect.  I loved the smell of the rosemary that was sprinkled on the bread coming from the oven.  Suzanne Dunaway, the author of “No Need to Knead,”  wrote that this dough was what inspired her bakery, and everyone loves it.  It's not hard to believe after trying a bite.

If you would like to do just that here is the recipe....from “No Need To Knead”

2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 cups unbleached bread flour
2 to 3 teaspoons salt
2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Measure the water into a large bowl.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until dissolved. Stir in two cups of flour and the salt and stir until smooth.  Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the flour is incorporated.  The dough should be fairly wet and tacky, but if you think it's to sticky add one-fourth to one-half cup of flour.

Same day method- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 30 to 40 minutes. 

Overnight method-Cover the bowl and refrigerate over night.  Remove the dough two hours before shaping  and let stand, covered, in a warm place.

When the dough is ready to shape, pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees.  Oil a seasoned nonstick, oven proof 9-inch skillet or two 5-inch skillets.

Pour the dough into the skillet or divide it equally among the two smaller skillets.  Scrape it gently from the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and try to keep the dough as inflated as possible during the transfer.  If you are using two skillets, cut the dough off at the edge of the bowl with the spatula as it falls into each pan.  Brush the tops of the loaves with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt, set aside to rise until doubled, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Place the bread in the pre-heated oven and reduce the temperature to 400 degrees.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it's nicely browned.