A six-ingredient recipe that relies on pantry staples
Sad desk lunches, no more! If you have flour and yeast in your pantry, you have a delicious and simple lunch awaiting you: Focaccia.
Focaccia is a delightful Italian bread that’s famous for its soft, chewy texture and its deliciously savory flavor. It’s often infused with olive oil, which gives it a rich taste and a slightly crispy crust. The dough is typically seasoned with herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano, along with a sprinkle of coarse salt that adds a nice contrast to the bread’s overall flavor profile. Focaccia can be enjoyed on its own, as a side to soups and salads, or even used as a base for sandwiches or pizza.
Rather than more complicated yeast dough recipes, focaccia comes together easily and only requires a little bit of forethought.
Give it a try for this week’s lunch and pair it alongside a lightly dressed salad.
Simple Focaccia Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 ⅛ tsp instant yeast
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- Olive Oil
- Optional herb additions (one or all):
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 tsp fresh parsley chopped (or ½ tsp dried)
- ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.
- In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and sugar and allow to sit until bubbly (usually 5 minutes).
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable beeswax wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the bowl from the fridge.
- Oil an 8-inch round cake pan, cast iron skillet, or small baking sheet and place the dough in.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a reusable beeswax wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450-degrees.
- Remove the cover from the pan—you should see that the dough has risen and fills the pan.
- Drizzle the dough with oil and use your fingers to press into the dough, leaving little wells in the dough as you go.
- Sprinkle with herbs (if using) and additional salt.
- Add pan or skillet to the oven, turn the heat down to 425-degrees, and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
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