Sundried Tomato Foccacia with Rosemary

Posted on April 14, 2007

These days, carbs are the only thing sustaining me . . . they keep me full without upsetting my stomach (and that is quite a feat, believe me). And there is something about springtime that really makes me want to make my own breads. (It could also be yeast envy over the delicious pizzas that A Year in Bread has been cooking up over the past month. As a novice breadmaker, that project really is inspiring. I can’t wait until they get to more complicated breads. Pizza dough? That I can handle.)

Anyway, I’ve written about foccacia before for Weekend Herb Blogging. And a year later, I still love this bread. It’s easy (though it takes some time to rise) to make. This particular foccacia pictured was made last week for Easter. We took it to our friends’ house and it was a huge hit.

The sundried tomato one was definitely the favorite of the bunch (the other varieties where: Kalamata olives, asiago cheese and thyme; asiago and romano with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper; and romano, rosemary and thyme). The Kalamata was a close second. But this is a recipe to get creative with. My toppings are merely suggestions. You could mix up the herbs, perhaps add some onions, or even try a meat for something very different.

The main difference between this recipe and the one from a year ago is that I kneaded this one by hand. Why? Well, for starters, I didn’t want to clean the Kitchen Aid from a small job like this. For another, I just felt it doing it with my own hands. Sometimes, it just feels good to get your hands in the dough. Strangely, my husband said the texture of this foccacia was different (and better) than the past ones I have made. He didn’t even realize I had changed up the kneading method either!

Did you know? Rosemary is an herb deeply rooted in tradition. Rosemary was traditionally placed until pillows to ward off evil spirits. Rosemary was also historically used to strengthen memory.

Weekend Herb Blogging is being hosted his week by Haalo at Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once.

Sundried Tomato Mini Foccacia
serves 6-8

2 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 envelope active dry yeast, or equivalant.
1 cup lukewarm water

Topping
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1/4 cup romano cheese
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips (NOT the ones packed in oil)
olive oil
sea salt

Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. Add the olive oil and water and mix until just together.

Transfer dough to a floured cutting board and knead for about 7 minutes, until a smooth ball is formed. Transfer dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour (it should double in size).

Once risen, punch dough for 1-2 minutes. Divide into four balls.

Brush a cookie sheet with olive oil, place four balls on sheet and press round to form rounds. Use your fingers to push down onto dough, creating a dimpled appearance.

Sprinkle rounds alternatively with rosemary, romano, and then tomatoes. Pat down into the dough (lightly). Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Cover with kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove towel and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Move foccacia to a wire cooling rack immediately and let cool.

Read the full post at Cucina Bella, a family cooking blog.

This feed contains copyrighted photos and text from Cucina Bella. If you are not reading this material in a feeds aggregator or by e-mail subscription, the site you are viewing may be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact sarah.caron (at) gmail (dot) com.

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Comments

10 Responses to “Sundried Tomato Foccacia with Rosemary”

  1. Kalyn on April 14th, 2007 5:02 pm

    Now I’m wondering if you’re pregnant (did I miss it?) or just having a stomach bug.

    I think you’ve coined quite a phrase with “yeast envy.” Love it. Your focaccia looks fantastic. I love rosemary in bread.

  2. Sarah on April 15th, 2007 12:47 am

    Oh my gosh, awesome new look BTW.

  3. Patti on April 15th, 2007 2:22 am

    I like your site’s new look, Sarah.
    The focaccia looks yummy.

  4. Cate on April 15th, 2007 4:45 am

    Love the new site design!

  5. Virtual Frolic on April 15th, 2007 6:24 am

    Wow! Love the new design! and the foccacia sounds tasty as well!

  6. Sarah Caron on April 15th, 2007 3:41 pm

    Thanks for all the compliments on the new look. I have been struggling with a new look for sometime (some of you may have noticed the neon extravaganza last week) but finally found a new one that I really liked. Mmmm. Those strawberries sure look good.

  7. Helene on April 16th, 2007 9:30 am

    Your focaccia is a must!! So yummy!!

  8. Tonia on April 16th, 2007 1:25 pm

    Love the new site & the focaccia looks great. I can’t wait to try it.

  9. Kevin on April 16th, 2007 4:43 pm

    Sarah,
    Gorgeous foccacia!

  10. Vani on April 16th, 2007 7:08 pm

    beautiful focaccia!

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