Hey! Hi. Hi! I’ve been eating a lot of bread. And I think it’s related, but I’m feeling very happy these days. It’s a very good thing. The weather got cold again and so I sat in front of the oven, tore off large pieces of this homemade focaccia, and dunked it in excessive amounts of peppery olive oil. My fingers are greasy, but my belly is full. I love being well-fed. I put a call out on instagram a few weeks ago asking for recipe requests. After scanning the list several times (thank you guys so much), and noticed an overwhelming number of requests for small batch yeast breads. Baking bread is one of my favorite things to do with a spare few hours in the kitchen. Working with yeast brings me joy. (Have you seen my small-batch cinnamon rolls?) It’s magic in the kitchen! I’m so happy to tackle this request for you guys. There are quite a few breads on my list to make, but I wanted to start with something easy. Something quick. Minimal effort, maximum reward. You know how I roll. This is also how I roll:
Rosemary focaccia bread. You’ve had it, right? It’s a rich dough made with olive oil and covered with herbs, and it’s typically not more than 1" high. It’s thicker than a flat bread, but not suitable for making a true bread loaf. After 5 failed recipe attempts, I’ve decided that the reason focaccia doesn’t rise very high is due to the copious amounts of olive oil. I also decided that the reason focaccia is so delicious is due to the copious amounts of olive oil. Rosemary focaccia bread is the BEST sandwich bread, if you ask me. It’s light and fluffy, and very easy to bite through. I love eating it simply dunked in olive oil, but I also love to make a salami, brown mustard, marinated artichoke and pickled carrot sandwich with it (I’m not high maintenance, I swear). Some people compare focaccia to pizza dough, but this is a comparison I don’t understand. Pizza dough is thin and chewy; focaccia is soft and fluffy. If your pizza dough is fluffy, I don’t think you’re making pizza dough correctly. But that’s just me. I think the comparison is referring to the Italian roots of both doughs.
Rosemary is traditional on top of focaccia dough, and I have a heavy hand with it. I used the older, woodier tips of my rosemary plants, and I mention that because if you use young, tender rosemary leaves, it has a tendency to stain your dough green. No big deal, really, but I don’t like explaining to dinner guests why I’m serving green bread. I already have to explain so many things, like why my child eats all of the food on her plate and then begs for yours too. And how is it possible that a child of her size puts away so much sauerkraut. Oh, and did I notice my baby has quite a large belly and is looking rather chunky today? Yes yes, and that’s just how I like my babes. We’ve strayed off course. Rosemary focaccia bread made in a quarter sheet pan (<–link to the one I use) for a smaller serving size. That’s what you’re here for today, correct?
Rosemary focaccia bread recipe notes:
I love you, and can’t wait until our next yeast bread adventure!
This focaccia would be awesome with artichokes and olive on top, too! If you love artichokes and olives, you’ve got to make my Mediterranean Pasta. This focaccia is a great side dish for it, also.
*To make this without a stand mixer, knead by hand for 10 minutes.
