Focaccia Recipe
4 c Unbleached flour
2/3 Fresh cake yeast,
Dissolved in 2/3 cup warm Water 10 tb Olive oil
1/3 c Water
2 1/2 ts Salt
Mix 2 cups flour with the dissolved yeast. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, either by hand or in the bowl of an electric mixture with a dough hook. Shape the dough into a ball, and put in an oiled bowl to rise until doubled in bulk, about 3 hours. Punch down, put the dough on a floured board, and knead again, incorporating the remaining flour, 1/3 cup olive oil, water, and salt. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Let rise again in a covered bowl for another 3 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Divide the dough in half and roll out on a well-floured board to circles or squares 1/2 inch thick. Brush with the remaining olive oil and press the topping of your choice into the top of each circle. Bake on a baking sheet until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges, squares, or triangles. NOTE: Slashes may be made in a decorative or random pattern in the breads before baking.
TOPPINGS:
* Thinly sliced rounds of yellow onion
* Paper-thin crosswise slices of tomatoes and chunks of sun-dried tomatoes
* Oregano leaves and slivers of garlic
* Coarse salt and olive oil
* Rosemary sprigs, coarse salt, and olive oil
* Black olive halves and coarse salt
* Sage leaves, coarse salt, and olive oil