Focaccia

1 cup tepid water

1 tsp dry yeast

1 tsp ground sea salt

2 cups flour

olive oil

toppings: coarse sea salt, rosemary, olives…really anything

In a large bowl, dissolve the 1 tsp of instant yeast in 1 cup of tepid water. Add 1 cup of flour and 1 tsp of salt. Stir for a few minutes. Add another cup of flour and mix. Stir for another 2-3 minutes. Set aside in a warm spot to proof. The dough will rise nicely. Pour dough into an 8″ cake pan well coated with olive oil. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with preferred topping. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated 230C oven.

As Dharm suggested I used extra water. “To get the right consistency, as it is supposed to be soft, sticky and almost liquid, I added another 1/4 cup of water.” And since it turned out great I’m assuming it was the right thing to do. I might try to NOT add the extra water next time and see how it works.

I undercooked the bread a bit, I’m still figuring out my new oven and it had a nice crust, but was a bit too soft inside still. I pulled it out after 13 mins, so I think 2-4 more mins would have been perfect. I let my older 2 “help” and they each oiled their own pans and picked there own toppings. We put the course salt on both, and one choose grated Parmesan and the other choose Rosemary and basil.

The loafs were great! It was an incredibly easy recipe (just one bowl dirty, with one measuring cup and rubber spatula) with wonderful results. We finished one loaf last night and saved the other for tonight, so I’ll update on how well it is the next day! And of course we served our with olive oil, fresh pepper and my FAVORITE balsamic vinegar (if you’ve never had it ask for it next time you go to the Macaroni Grill!)