When I first found this bread recipe, I made it way too often because it’s so easy to make and it’s just so darn tasty. As fun as it is to bake copious amounts of bread, it proved to be a bad thing because I had a difficult time eating all of it by myself. But now that I moved back in with my parents, I’ve noticed I have the opposite problem as my baked goods are disappearing at an alarming rate (it's probably Chloe, she’s sneaky).
This recipe is courtesy of one of my mom’s favorite celebrity turned Food Network Star, Valerie Bertinelli. I’ll be the first to tell you, Valerie knows what she’s dough-ing. (I’m so sorry.) Here's a link to her recipe. Speaking of knowing what they're doing, Chloe really scrutinized my technique. She said that real focaccia is made by hand, but despite her complaints she ate half the loaf. Let's give it a 9/10 from Chloe.
I will usually eat this as its own meal because Focaccia bread deserves this honor. I like to jazz it up with some meats and cheeses, but I cannot in good conscious call it a “charcuterie board”. Fun fact: charcuterie boards would not have any cheese or bread on it—charcuterie means an assortment of meats only. I understand that it's way cuter to call it a “charcuterie board” instead of a “meat and cheese platter,” but it’s just not accurate.
Lastly, don’t forget to salt the bread right before you pop it into the oven. I forgot to do it, and I realized that it makes all the difference. Any of my avid bakers out there can vouch that forgetting the salt has a major impact on the flavor. Salting after it comes out of the oven just doesn’t have the same effect, so please don’t skip this very crucial step. Also, I recommend that you hit it with a little more salt than you think it needs but use your best judgement.
Notes
Choosing Toppings
In her recipe, Valerie uses olives, rosemary and onions and, as tasty as they are, they are optional. You can leave them off and have a plain Focaccia bread, or you can choose different toppings. Some other tasty options include roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, shallots, or bell peppers.
Choosing Flours
So, the first few times I made this I didn’t feel like buying bread flour and I made it with all-purpose flour instead. I have to be honest here, it tasted exactly the same both ways. So make it however you want!
Meat and Cheese Pairings
I thought I would also list out the cheeses and meats I bought to pair with my focaccia. For the meat I got salami, prosciutto and mortadella and for the cheese I bought goat cheese, parmesan and triple cream brie. Also, I added more of the same olives that I baked into the bread alongside some balsamic and olive oil dipping sauce.
Rosemary and Olive Focaccia Bread
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes (including rising time)
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp sugar
1 packet of instant yeast
3 1/2 cups bread flour (or sub. all-purpose flour)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 small yellow onion, quartered and sliced
5.3 oz jar pitted green olives
1 tsp sea salt flakes
Directions
Put sugar, water and yeast into a bowl, let the mixture stand for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Add the fours, salt, rosemary and olive oil to another bowl (preferably into a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment). Combine the yeast mixture with the flour mixture and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes. If you do not have a stand mixer, knead by hand for 7-10 minutes. Either method you choose, your dough should come together into a supple ball that isn’t sticky to the touch.
Turn the dough out onto a prepared sheet tray (by prepared sheet tray I mean one that has parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat) and drizzle with olive oil. Cover the dough-baby with the bowl you just used or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
Press the dough out onto the sheet tray, making dimpled indentations all over the dough. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for another 45 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425F and prepare the onions and olives.
After the dough has rested, sprinkle the dough with onions, olives and rosemary and drizzle with olive oil and flakey sea salt.
Bake for 20-25 minutes and drizzle (again) with olive oil before serving.
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