Quick Rise Focaccia Bread
I recently tried this for the first time to bring to a dinner party, and it was such a hit! There's just something that feels so elevated and bougie about showing up with a fresh baked loaf of bread, ya know? I feel like I'm cheating, because focaccia seems like way more work than it actually is! You can make the dough morning of, and have a fresh loaf of fluffy bread by the evening.
Quick Rise Focaccia Bread Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 cups of flour (I used bread flour and is recommended if you live in a humid environment)
2 teaspoons of salt
1 pack of instant dry yeast
2 cups of lukewarm water
4 tablespoons of olive oil divided (I do not measure this, but seems about right 😅)
Any herbs or toppings you want for garnish
Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients.
Add the water and mix. You may eventually have to get in there with your hands to get a good consistency.
Once everything is mixed, coat your dough ball generously with olive oil and flip so it’s completely coated. We want lots of moisture! Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours. You can let it go longer (up to a few days!) but at least 2 hours.
After 2 hours, check the rise of your dough. It should have doubled in size. Coat a 9” x 13”glass baking dish generously in olive oil. Take two forks (or your fingers) along the edges of the dough and pull up and inwards to deflate. Put the dough into your baking dish. Coat generously in olive oil again and then leave this uncovered to rise again for at least 30 minutes.
After the second rise, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Prepare your toppings. Coat your hands lightly in olive oil and press your fingers deep into the dough forming dimples. As you do so, make sure the dough reaches the edges and fills the pan. Sprinkle with salt and top with your desired garnishes. I used fresh rosemary for this batch.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!
