Sundried Tomato Olive Focaccia

 

Focaccia is a traditional olive oil Italian flat bread similar to pizza dough. It is very popular in Italy and often served topped with herbs, vegetables, cheese and sometimes meat.

Ingredients:
 

2 3/4 cups flour

1 TBSP cream of wheat or semolina

2 packs of dried yeast or 4 1/2 tsp of loose yeast

1/4 cup olive oil

4-5 tsp. Tuscan Bread Dipping Blend

1 tsp. sea salt

2 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp. Spanish Rosemary sea salt or Sundried Tomato sea salt

1/2 tsp. Tuscan Bread Dipping Blend

1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil

15 black olives (any kind: Maroccan sundried, Kalamata, etc), pitted

 

Directions:

Mix the flour, cream of wheat, yeast, 1 tsp. sea salt and 4-5 tsp. Tuscan Bread Dipping Blend in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture.

 

Warm up water for 35 seconds in the microwave. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and mix well. Slowly add the water into the flour and mix using a fork. Make sure the dough is not too wet. You might not use all of the water as the dough should be a little grainy. Turn over onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes.

 

Oil a large bowl with 1/2 TBSP olive oil. Make a ball with the dough, roll the ball in the bowl to coat all sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm area for 30 to 60 minutes until the dough has doubled in size.

 

Grease a baking tray with 1 TBSP olive oil. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. Spanish Rosemary Sea Salt or Sundried Tomato sea salt. 

 

When the dough has doubled in size, tip the dough into the tray. Grease your fingers with a little oil and push the dough to the edges of the tray until the tray is covered uniformly. Using your index finger, poke holes in uniform rows throughout the tray. Top dough with 1/2 tsp. Tuscan Bread Dipping Blend and 1/2 tsp. Spanish Rosemary sea salt or Sundried Tomato sea salt.

 

In each hole, alternatenly add sundried tomatoes and black olives until all the hole are filled. Drizzle with olive oil. Let rise another 30-45 minutes.

 

Preheat oven at 400°. Bake the focaccia for 30-35 minutes until golden. Turn out of the tray and let cool slightly on a cutting board.

 

Note: If you are using sundried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, you will need to rehydrate them in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Once they are plump, remove from the water and drizzle with olive oil. If the sundried tomatoes are not drizzled with olive oil, they will burn.