Bread baking club ~~ recipe #8

[barleychown]

Let's get started again...with a super easy recipe. Really! 

No knead focaccia

1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp. dry yeast
2 cups flour

olive oil
salt
herbs

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, then stir in one cup of the flour until very well mixed. Add 1/2 to 1 tsp salt and the second cup of flour...stir for 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will remain very sticky, it's not a dough you could shape with your hands.

Cover and refriderate for 12 hours, then remove from fridge and let warm for another 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450*f. Carefully pour the dough out onto an oiled sheet, trying to be as gentle as possible as to not ruin it's puffiness. Pull dough to desired shape (if you coat your fingers/hands with olive oil it's rather easy to work with the dough).

Now, top with a bit of olive oil (1 to 2 tbsp) olive oil, salt, and any herbs you would like. I personally like garlic and rosemary.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, unitl lightly brown on top. remove from oven, remove from sheet and cool on rack to keep it's crispness.

Slice into strips or squares and enjoy! 

[Triss]

This one does look really easy Sarah.

[barleychown]

It really is. I usually start it in the morning while waiting on my coffee and bake it with dinner. Anything left is eaten with lunch the next day.

You can also top it with cinnamon and sugar for a nice treat. 

[Triss]

Yummy.  Now I just need to get in the mood to bake.

[landofoz]

What is focaccia like?  Can I pair it with a hearty soup - like spicy chicken tortilla soup?

[bestofour]

I think it will go great with a hearty soup.  It's a firm, not hard and crusty but not soft, flat bread with spices.  It's good.

[barleychown]

Sheri is right. It's great with soups, pasta, salads...I cut mine into strips, so they sorta resemble breadsticks. If done right, it has a nice chewy crust, which is why we like it so much.

[Tina]

I think of it as a thick pizza crust, sort of, without the traditional toppings..

[barleychown]

Here's a picture of last night's:

[landofoz]

I love the holes.  Looks like it would soak up the soup nicely...  I'll be gettin this going shortly!  Thanks!!

[landofoz]

My dough is doughy and not very sticky at all.  I'm thinking that I may add some more water to it, so it's more sticky and "pourable."

[landofoz]

Adam really liked the bread and he's not a bread person.  So, kudos to you Sarah!  Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

[Tina]

but did you add the water, Sarah?

[Jessica]

Sarah, I'm taking it you didn't refrigerate it for the 12 hours.  Did it still turn out okay?  I thought about making it yesterday but then saw that it needed to be refrigerated for 12 hours and I didn't have enough time so I didn't make it.

[barleychown]

Adam really liked the bread and he's not a bread person.  So, kudos to you Sarah!  Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

  I'm so glad it was a hit for you. 


You do not have to refrigerate it, in that case it takes about 3, sometimes 4 hours to rise correctly, depending on temperature.

The idea behind refrigeration of the dough is to slow down the rise so the gluten strands have more time to develop. The more they do, the better the texture and taste of the bread.

I keep a master batch of this dough in the fridge...6 cups flour, 3 cups water. It stays good for up to two weeks, so I can just pull out a hunk whenever, and top it however best suits my needs today.

[Jessica]

Thanks for the info, Sarah.

[landofoz]

I did add the extra water - about a quarter cup.  And, no, I didn't do the whole 12 hour thing.  It set on the counter for an hour and then I popped it into the fridge until I got home from scouts.  I pulled it out at 5:15 and put it in the oven at 6:15.  It was a bit more dense then Sarah's pic - but it was very good.

[Skhilled]

You do not have to refrigerate it, in that case it takes about 3, sometimes 4 hours to rise correctly, depending on temperature.

The idea behind refrigeration of the dough is to slow down the rise so the gluten strands have more time to develop. The more they do, the better the texture and taste of the bread.

I keep a master batch of this dough in the fridge...6 cups flour, 3 cups water. It stays good for up to two weeks, so I can just pull out a hunk whenever, and top it however best suits my needs today.

Thanks for the tips. I just purchased this book recently:

Artisan Breads Every Day

My daughter and I have been wanting to bake bread for awhile now and it helps a lot. The focaccia in the book uses refrigeration during the rise but this is simpler.

[Ariel]

This bread was soooo good!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!! I will keep this one forever!!

[Penny]

Great link, thanks!