Eat This: Summer Herb and Tomato Focaccia

Summer Herb and Tomato Focaccia

I grow a lot of herbs and veggies in containers on my patio. Chili Piquin Peppers (RIDICULOUSLY hot TicTac sized peppers), Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, Chives, Mint, Jalapenos and cherry tomatoes. I found a recipe and changed it up a bit for a quick Sunday afternoon treat. I love focaccia and herbs and thought, "What the heck!?!" let's just marry them all together and see what comes up. Here's what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
3 tsp yeast (1.5 packets)
2 tsp salt - I like roasted garlic grey salt
3 + 3/4 cups good quality soft bread flour
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup fresh herb leaves, chopped finely - I use Basil, Oregano and Rosemary because I grow them
1.5 Cups of small cherry tomatoes split lengthwise
1/2 cup grated cheese for sprinkling - I prefer Romano/Parmesan blend

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 110 degrees F for rising
2. Put the yeast in a large mixing bowl and pour in the warm water.
3. Add the salt and 2 cups of the flour, mix into a soft and sticky dough.
4. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and mix well. The dough should still be sticky. You want it sticky/wet to be able to rise well
5. Cover and let rise for 40-45 minutes in the warm oven
6. Turn the dough out onto the lined pan. Add about a third of the chopped herbs to the top of the dough, fold over and add another third; fold over again
7. Press out the dough on a well oiled, or silpat lined baking sheet. Using your fingers, ease it into a rectangle, approximately 9×13, give or take.
8. Put the olive oil in a small bowl and dip your fingers into the oil, and then all over the bread, poking the bread surface and leaving little pools of oil.
9. Poke the tomatoes all over the dough pressing them in slightly., then scatter the remaining herbs across the surface. Sprinkle your chosen salt over all, and finally sprinkle on the cheese.
10. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden.
11. I like to top off the freshly baked bread with coarsely chopped Basil because it is so fragrant and sort of "melts" into the toppings.

Eat This: Herbed Focaccia

This summer we used a lot of the herbs we grow in the back yard.  Basil, rosemary, lemon thyme, German thyme, chives, mint and oregano.  I wanted some focaccia to use to make our favorite "Caprese sandwich" using more of the nice basil we have as well as some delicious tomatoes from the farmer's market.

I used an old tried and true quick focaccia recipe.  It turns out really well and doesn't take forever.  Quick and easy, almost fool proof try this and use anything you want to include as an add on.

Eat This: Rosemary Oregano Parmesan Focaccia

Impossible not to cut a piece to taste.

I love focaccia.  I bought a loaf last week from a local grocery. It was delicious, creamy with Parmesan.  I wanted to try that myself and this was the result.  I added herbs fresh from my backyard, rosemary and oregano along with shaved parmesan.  Oh yeah. Delicious.  Just try to make at least two loaves because one?  Like eating one potato chip. Not happening.

Cheeburger: Home Made Hamburger Buns

I love fresh bread.  I also like a good burger.  When I wanted burgers today I realized I had no buns. Bummer.  But wait!  How about a quick and easy homemade hamburger bun in less than an hour?  I know, you think I am off my meds, but I am not.  This recipe was adapted from this one at Taste Of Home.

Southern Roots: Buttermilk Biscuits

The Final Product

Growing up in the Deep South in Northern Florida, I had a lot of biscuits.  Family members from Southern Georgia often baked the most delicious things I have ever tasted.  Some of the biscuits were called "Cat Heads" because of their size... these could surely be called catheads - they are huge and fluffy with a nice bottom snap to the crust.  

Buttery and delicious, not for the faint of heart nor an every day thing, so indulge and get back on that treadmill later! This recipe adapted from Saveur Magazine's article featuring the Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston. 

Recent Obsession: Focaccia

Maybe because I have elected to limit my wheat intake, or maybe just because I like bread, lately I have become obsessed with that beautiful Italian bread, Focaccia.  It might just be that it is so ever changing depending on what you have at hand?  Or, maybe, like I said - I just like bread.  Enjoy.

Roasted Tomato & Herbs

Fines Herbs & Lemon Zest

Olive Oil & Garlic

Rosemary, Olive Oil & Parmesan

I like Tyler Florence's recipe for Focaccia - you can make never ending variations of this.  Try it!

Onion and Sage

Fabulous Focaccia

2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Show: Food 911Episode: Bad Bread in Las Vegas NV

• Recipe categories: Vegetables, Olive, Cheese, Parmesan Cheese,
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  • Dish : Focaccia
  • Cuisine : European , Italian
  • Technique : Baking
  • Season : Fall , Spring , Summer , Winter

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons rapid-rising dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Cornmeal, for dusting

Toppings:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

Directions

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, proof the yeast by combining it with the warm water and sugar. Stir gently to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes until foam appears. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the flour to the bowl. Dissolve salt in 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the mixture. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and fold over itself a few times. Form the dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat the entire ball with oil so it doesn't form a skin. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rise over a gas pilot light on the stovetop or other warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Coat a sheet pan with a little olive oil and corn meal. Once the dough is doubled and domed, turn it out onto the counter. Roll and stretch the dough out to an oblong shape about 1/2-inch thick. Lay the flattened dough on the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, coat a small saute pan with olive oil, add the onion, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until the onions caramelize. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Uncover the dough and dimple with your fingertips. Brush the surface with more olive oil and then add caramelized onions, garlic, olives, cheese, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Bake on the bottom rack for 15 to 20 minutes.

Roasted Red Pepper and Chile

Rosemary, Olive Oil and Olive