Kalamata Olive and Feta Focaccia Bread

This is even better than it looks.  And it looks Amazing!

Kalamata Olive and Feta Focaccia Bread
What You Need:

3 1/4 cups Flour (Can use Gluten Free)

1 1/4 cups Warm Water*

2 packets of Dry Fast-Acting Yeast

1 tbsp Sugar

2 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Olive Oil

5 tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 cup seedless Kalamata Olives, halved length ways**

2 tbsp Crumbled Feta

Pinch Garlic Powder

Kosher Salt to Top

**If you are an Olive Fan (Like myself), chop an addition 1/4 cup olives and mix them into the dough prior to letting it rise.  This will make the bread so amazing, and give it a huge flavor boost!

To start you need to heat the water to about 100 degrees, but not boiling.  This sounds crazy but I let me tap water run to get super hot, and just use that for the "warm water".  Add the sugar and yeast to this, cover, and set aside for the yeast to hydrate and start feeding on the sugar (10 minutes).  Meanwhile sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl.  

After the 10 minutes, the yeast will almost resemble a pint of beer -- foamy, bubbly, and murky in color. This is perfect!  Slowly add the yeast water and 1 tbsp olive oil to the flour mixture.  You will knead this until combines, but do not over knead.  At this point the bread will need to rise.  I use an 8X8 pan to bake the bread.  To do so, add the 5 tbsp oil to the pan, then place the dough into it, covering with a damp towel.  This will need a warm place to rise.  I've both let bread rise on my porch in the sun or even let the over heat to about 100 degree and let the dough rise in there (Turning the oven off of course so you don't start to bake the dough!).

After 1 - 2 hours, pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.   Top the dough with the Olives and Feta and brush with Olive Oil -- Sprinkling with kosher salt and the pinch of Garlic Powder (Left Picture is unbaked decorated bread!).  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and pan (prevents soaking up extra oil) and let cool.  This bread is so amazing!  I hope you make it unique to your favorite spices and toppers!

Thanks for following and Please Enjoy!

XOXO,

Aimee