Rosemary Focaccia

This bread is easy to make and is wonderful with pasta or soup or for making a sandwich.
Play with topping ideas such as tomato slices, olives or red onions. Everything tastes good with
focaccia!
DougH:
1 packet (¼ ounce or 2¼
teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1¾ cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 4½ cups fl our
1 teaspoon fi nely chopped
fresh rosemary or
1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
toPPing:
1 to 1½ tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fi nely chopped
fresh rosemary or
1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
1½ teaspoons coarse salt,
or to taste
For dough: In a large bowl, gently stir together yeast,
sugar and water and let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir
in salt and olive oil. Add fl our 1 cup at a time and knead
dough, adding as much fl our as necessary to form a soft,
slightly sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a fl oured surface
and knead for about 4 minutes, until dough is elastic and
smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to
coat. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm
place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Grease a jelly-roll pan or two 8-inch cake pans with
margarine or oil. Once dough has risen, punch it down,
then knead in rosemary and spread dough into the
prepared pan. Shape the dough in each pan using your
hands to create a disc. It does not need to touch the edges
completely, as it will once it rises. Let it rise again, covered
loosely with a kitchen towel, for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
For Topping: Brush on olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt
and rosemary. Dimple the dough with your fi ngers, making
¼-inch-deep indentations.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bread is golden. Let
foccacia rest in the pan for 5 minutes before serving. Store
leftover bread covered at room temperature.
Yield: 8 LARGE SLICES
Prep time: 25 MINUTES ACTIVE