Simple Foccacia Bread

Crowded Earth Kitchen followers will be familiar with Simple Bread as a made-from-scratch staple. For a Mediterranean twist on an old favorite, here is a recipe for Simple Foccacia Bread. It’s delicious with a variety of dipping sauces (think olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or even pizza sauce) and also delicious as a base for bruschetta. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes a 9″x13″ pan)

1 1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 (0.25 ounce) package active-dry yeast

1/4 cup Portuguese olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Portuguese sea salt

3 – 4 cups all purpose flour

Another 2 tablespoons Portuguese olive oil

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest or 1 teaspoon finely minced preserved lemon

1 tablespoon Portuguese sea salt

Directions

Step 1) In a large mixing bowl, stir together lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes. The top of the mixture will look a bit foamy; this is good.

Step 2) Add 1/4 cup of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 cups of flour. Stir until combined.

Step 3) Dump remaining 1 cup of flour on a clean countertop and spread out into a circle about the size of a dinner plate. Transfer dough to the center of the circle, and flip over a few times to coat with flour. Gently knead the dough with your hands, pulling in the flour on the counter. Do not be intimidated by kneading dough with your hands – have fun with this, and remember that it only takes a moment to clean up! 🙂

Step 4) When the dough is still very soft but well combined, transfer to a greased bowl and cover with a clean towel. Set in the sun or other warm place for one hour.

Step 5) After one hour, transfer dough to a very well oiled (use olive oil) 9″ x 13″ baking pan. Poke holes in the top of the dough with your fingers.

Step 6) Whisk together lemon zest or preserved lemon and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Drizzle this mixture over your dough. Sprinkle generously with sea salt.

Step 7) Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Then, invert onto a cutting board and cut into about 16 pieces. Enjoy!