Thursday, February 16, 2012

Herbed Onion Focaccia Bread

This is a recipe I often make for company, as it's very fast, pretty much fool-proof, and everyone seems to like it. Goes great with any kind of soup, and is hearty and filling - nice when serving a crowd! I usually make it ahead of time, then slice and butter it, warming it up in the oven and placing it in a basket under a cloth just before serving.

A recent guest requested the recipe - so here you go, Jessica! Enjoy. :)


Herbed Onion Focaccia Bread

2 c. warm water (I just turn the faucet on hot and let it warm up a bit)
4 tsp. active dry yeast
2 Tb. sugar
1/4 c. finely chopped onion (or a couple tsp. dried, minced onion if you're in a hurry)
3 tsp. salt
2 Tb. grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. rosemary (optional)
5 c. flour (I use 2 c. whole wheat and the rest unbleached white flour)

Dissolve yeast in water with sugar for 5-10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and mix thoroughly until dough forms a ball and is no longer sticky (add a little more flour if needed).

Knead lightly. Divide dough in half and form into two ovals on a greased baking sheet.

Topping:
1+ Tb. olive oil
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt

With a pastry brush, spread olive oil on top of loaves, then sprinkle with rest of topping. Let rise till doubled - about 45 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until loaves are golden brown.

3 comments:

  1. When you say "form two ovals" do you just basically make it into a loaf shape, but not use a loaf pan? This sounds sooo good and I'm going to try it out this weekend! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kiersten: Yes, just basically form it into two loaf shapes and place them on a cookie sheet. Depending on the size and shape of your sheet they may need to be more oval or round to fit without running into each other as they rise. Really any shape/size you want to try should work great. :) I even tried braiding the dough once, and that turned out nice, too. Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!

    ReplyDelete