Plain Focaccia

Photo: Cynthia Corpuz

Ingredients

5 cups of all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading)

1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast (about 1 packet of< a href="http://www.breadworld.com/products.aspx">Fleishmann's Rapid

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup olive oil (plus extra for rising and cooking)

Preparation

Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in olive oil and half of the warm water. With a spatula or big wooden spoon begin to incorporate wet and dry ingredients. Add the rest of the water and combine completely.

Turn out the dough onto a clean, generously floured surface. Knead for a few minutes until it is pliable and smooth.

Drizzle some olive oil in a large clean mixing bowl, and then place your kneaded dough inside making sure to coat all sides with the oil. Cover with some plastic or a warm damp cloth and place in a dark warm place, allowing it to rise for about 60 minutes.

After the dough has doubled, remove the plastic and punch it down in the center.

Take a sheet pan with shallow sides and coat generously with more olive oil. Turn out the dough onto the sheet pan and begin spreading it out to the sides using our fingers. Create holes in the dough as you do this so that when you let it sit again (another 30 minutes), you have a nice texture typical of focaccia.*

Preheat the oven to 400F and then bake on the center rack for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

After you have allowed the dough to rise again (in the sheet pan), try topping with these few favorites before baking:

Sprinkle some coarse sea salt, oregano and parmesan cheese

Lightly brush some tomato sauce over the top then place a layer of pepperonis and sprinkle some dry oregano, garlic powder and mozzarella cheese.

Top with some caramelized onions, crushed dry rosemary and parmesan cheese

Thinly slice some sweet roma tomatoes and courgettes (zucchini). Layer on top alternating slices of tomato and courgette, then drizzle the top with some olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper and dry or fresh basil.

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About

Plain focaccia is great for sandwiches or dunking in a comforting bowl of soup. However, it’s also a great platform for any of your favorite toppings – like a pizza! It's also super low maintenance to make, you just need a couple of hours - most of which is spent waiting for the dough to rise. When it is all cooked and ready to devour, you will not be disappointed by its olive oil and salty taste, crunchy crust and fluffy inside goodness.