Craving fluffy focaccia bread, ready to eat in under an hour? So many recipes for focaccia take 8 hours in the refrigerator, then 4 hours to rise. Far too much time. When all you want is a piece of light, airy bread quickly! No mental prep, and thinking ahead is needed.
This recipe came to fruition due to a grocery store experience. The boys and I were shopping at the store. They saw a display of focaccia bread that while smelling great, was baked off-site and was who knows how many days old. I picked it up and it was so dry under all the packaging that the bread weighed almost nothing. Add in that it was packed on a styrofoam tray and plastic wrap, which was very wasteful, especially for a “green” grocery store. I told them, “We can make it home so much better.” So, we did.
This recipe is why I keep both kinds of yeast on hand. Regular active dry yeast is for bread-making, and rapid-rise yeast is for quick breads. Keep them in the refrigerator for freshness, tightly sealed.
Bread recipes like this focaccia drive home why cast iron pans are such winners in the kitchen. It was so off-putting to me the other week when we went to Florida on vacation. Where we stayed had a well-equipped kitchen but like most American kitchens, it was nothing but slick Chinese-made non-stick pots and pans. I am so not used to them now (we only cook on US-made cast iron and stainless steel now) that I felt like the food was not getting cooked properly. And I was freaked out about the potential of fumes (and more so that while it was a high-end brand, the stove was electric…ack).
After a quick rise, I spread the very heavenly-scented oil over the dough.
Then dimpled the dough and popped it in to bake.
The aroma alone could snag a woman a husband. Just saying. Or have obedient children for a hot minute who really want it.
The Recipe for Effortless One-Hour Focaccia Bread
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup warm water (90 to 120°)
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp rapid-rise yeast (about 1 packet)
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese (any kind will work)
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp dried rosemary, finely crumbled (1 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped)
Directions:
In a small bowl add 2 Tablespoons olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, and rosemary. Stir well and set aside.
Preheat oven to 200°. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a cast iron skillet, 8″ size.
In a stand mixer bowl add the water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes to start foaming.
Add in the flour, salt, and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
Beat with a dough hook in, till the dough pulls away from the bowl. If needed, add a small amount of extra flour if too wet to ball up.
Dust your fingers with flour and remove the dough. Add to the cast iron skillet and gently pat out to fill the pan.
Turn off the oven. Place the pan in the oven for 20 minutes for the bread to rise.
Take it out of the oven. Turn oven back on to 400°.
Meanwhile, spread the oil on the dough gently, covering it all. Then press your fingers in to make dimples.
Bake bread for 20 minutes. Take out and let sit for 5 minutes, run a thin metal spatula under it, and transfer it to a cooling rack.
Makes one loaf, or 8 wedges.
~Sarah