Recipe for a yummy, quick & easy focaccia with herbs and parmesan cheese

Easy Herby Parmesan Focaccia

The Husband hinted that I hadn’t made focaccia in a while, so I snapped out of my (life-long, decidedly permanent) sweet spell and put on the savory hat.

For some reason I always think that it takes So Long to make focaccia, so I don’t do it often. Yet every time I pull out the recipe and begin, I’m reminded that it’s actually quite easy… and if you skip the step of fermenting the yeast ahead of time (which I have done here for this recipe), it’s actually a pretty quick bread to make. In light of that, I might fill our kitchen with the smell of yeasty, herby, cheesy wonder a bit more often.

1 teaspoon sugar

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water (105 – 115 degrees), plus 5 tablespoons for step 2

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 – 2 teaspoons course salt

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried herbs (any combination of rosemary, basil, thyme, or parsley)

1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until foamy (about 10 minutes).
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with flour; stir well to combine. Gradually stir in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the flour is absorbed (approximately 3 – 5 tablespoons of warm water). When the flour has been incorporated into the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes until stiff and elastic. (You can use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment instead.)
3. Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
4. Turn oven to 475 degrees.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Shape dough into a 10 inch circle on a lightly greased baking sheet by gently pulling with your fingertips. Cover with the damp towel and let sit while the oven preheats.
6. Make indentations 1/2 inch deep into dough every 2 inches, using your fingertips or the pokey end of a wooden spoon. Brush the dough with the oil remaining from the bowl and sprinkle with salt, herbs, and cheese.
7. Bake focaccia for 10 to 20 minutes, until golden. (Less time for moist & chewy focaccia, more towards 20 minutes for dark & crunchy focaccia.) Serve warm, ideally with olive oil and the vinegar of your choice to dip into.
Tips:
- Want your bread even herbier? Add 2 teaspoons of your herbs to the dough when you are adding the flour.
- Pretty cheesy: I have been grating parmesan with a microplane lately, so the cheese looks fluffy and light when sprinkled on foods. Since most of the cheese melts on this focaccia, it won’t matter, but if you are sprinkling a bit on top after taking it out of the oven, try the microplane (picture below).
- Don’t place the focaccia on a sheet of parchment paper when baking. As wonderful as parchment paper is, it will burn at temperatures this high. (And set your smoke detector off.)
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January 9th, 2012 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: Breads & Muffins, Savory