Tomato Basil Focaccia Bread

Delicious.... and no one needs to know how easy it was for you to make!

Tomato Basil 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 Yeastt
1 tbsp Sugar

2 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Olive Oil

5 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tomato, Sliced Thin

2 tbsp Dried Basil (or 10 fresh leaves, minced)

Pinch Garlic Powder

Kosher Salt to Top

**You are encouraged to add Parmesan, Asiago, or even Mozzarella to this recipe!  You can top the bread with it, mix it in the dough before rising, or both!  Awesome Flavor enhancer!!!

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, the dried basil, 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 or a round pie 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 degrees (turn to 200 and let pre-heat 5 minutes so it is not quite pre-heated.  Shut the oven off, open the door, and let it feel warm to touch -- place the covered bread in the oven and do not open for 2 hours) 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 Tomato Slices 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!

Enjoy and Thanks for Following!!

XOXO,

Aimee