Focaccia Bread

Focaccia Bread

Usually, you will never find anyone describing bread as beautiful but the intricate designs on Focaccia bread, that recently broke all the social media platforms and will surely have amazed many like minded people so I thought I'd try my hand at...and it turn out amazing in look and so delicious crunchy, salty, herby, and soft in the middle.

full of flavor of herb which really needs to be **eaten** when it's **hot** to be at its best since It goes stale very quickly.

Focaccia Bread:

1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, finely crushed, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, 1 cup warm water, 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet), 1/4 teaspoon honey (or bit of milk or Sugar), 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. (Bit of milk or Sugar)

Make Dough:

In a cold medium skillet, combine olive oil, crushed garlic, thyme, rosemary, and the black pepper. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes or until aromatic, but before the garlic browns. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey (or bit of milk or Sugar). Stir a few times then let sit for 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the flour and a 1/4 cup of the infused garlic-olive oil mixture to the bowl with yeast and honey. Stir 3 to 4 times until the flour has moistened. Let sit for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt. When the dough comes together, knead until smooth. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl, cover with a warm, damp towel and let rise for 1 hour. (It’s best to let the dough rise in a warmer area of your kitchen).

Bake Bread:

After 1 hour, heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Use two tablespoons of the remaining garlic-olive oil mixture to oil a 9 x 12 inch rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet then press it down into the pan. Use your fingers to dimple the dough then drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the garlic-olive oil mixture. Decorate picture perfect and let the dough rise for 20 minutes until it puffs slightly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool baked focaccia bread on a wire rack

Tips:

Refrigerate or freeze leftover focaccia. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days and in the freezer for about a month.

To **reheat focaccia**, simply place on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 375 degrees until it is crispy and hot (if **frozen**, thaw the Focaccia on the counter first).