Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia

Preparation: 20 minutes

Waiting time: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Cooking time: 30 to 35 minutes

Do you know focaccia, the Italian flat bread that makes you salivate? This weekend, we invite you to improvise as a baker and concoct our homemade focaccia with garlic and rosemary, our favorite recipe of the moment!

Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, this bread will go perfectly with burrata cheese, candied tomatoes and your favorite balsamic vinegar. Buon appetito!

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 1/3 cups of warm water (bearable to the touch)
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 packet / sachet of dry active yeast or 2 1/4 tsp.
• 3 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil with pepper Maison Orphée + 1/4 cup extra to drizzle over the focaccia
• 2 tsp. salt
• Chopped fresh rosemary sprigs (about two sprigs)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• Maison Orphée Fleur de Sel  to taste

PREPARATION

1. With a spoon, combine water, honey and yeast in a bowl. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to foam.
   
   
2. A) Place the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add oil, salt and yeast/water mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together (about 3 to 5 minutes)
   
   B) Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Then add the yeast mixture and oil. Then combine with a wooden spoon. When dough begins to form, knead on lightly floured work surface for about 5 minutes.
   
   
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth (or plastic wrap) and leave to rise for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
   
   
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the rosemary sprigs, garlic and the extra 1/4 cup of olive oil to infuse the oil with the aromatics.
   
   
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it in a lightly oiled casserole dish (13x9 inches). Gently stretch the dough so that it covers the bottom of the dish. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
   
   
6. Preheat oven to 400° F. Using your fingers, make deep indentations in the dough. Drizzle with the rosemary and garlic infused olive oil. Season with a pinch of fleur de sel.
   
   
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Let stand for 5 minutes (enough time to handle) before slicing and serving. If the focaccia is served later, place it on a wire rack so that the underside can cool and remain crisp.
   
   
8. Enjoy!

Notes: To help the dough rise, choose a warm place in your kitchen like an oven with the light on.