FIORE Focaccia Bread

This recipe is a Focaccia bread, using our Single Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil! Don't fear about making bread, this is quite easy and sooooo tasty!

• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 3 tbls FIORE Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus 1/4 cup for drizzling on top)
• 1-1/4 tsp salt
• 3-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tbls instant yeast
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 2 tbls fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp FIORE coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of the pan.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl (except the ¼ cup oil, shallots, rosemary and sea salt) and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.

Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan with a damp clean kitchen towel, and let it rise at room temperature, away from drafts, for 60 minutes, till it becomes puffy. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.

When dough is ready, flour your hand and gently poke the dough all over with your index finger. Distribute sliced shallots and chopped rosemary evenly over the surface of the dough. Drizzle dough with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake the bread till it is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Have fun with this recipe - feel free to add or change toppings! And try using Rosemary or Herbs de Provence Olive Oils rather than EVOO - great!