FOCCOCIA

obtained from the House of Bread in Salt Lake City, Utah. Submitted by Alisha Brisson Stamper

1 1/2 C warm water (99 degrees)
2 packages active dry yeast or 1 T + 1.5 t
4 C unbleached white bread flour
1/4 C olive or canola oil
1 T sugar
1 T salt

Optional:
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground rosemary or thyme
1/2 C sundried tomatoes
3 Tbsp black olives drained and sliced

Prepare a starter: In a liquid cup, pour in the warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved and set aside for five minutes to allow it to proof.

Add the flour and salt to the starter. Then add the oil and begin to mix on a mixer for 5 minutes. Add additional water or flour as necessary to get a pliable dough. Add the herbs, olives and/or tomato to the last two minutes of mixing time. You do not want to pulverize the olives or tomato.

Put the finished dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for one hour. Punch down and place on a lightly floured surface and divide into four equal pieces and shape into a flat round. Lightly poke the dough several times with your finger tips. Brush with olive or canola oil. Place the dough on a sprayed baking sheet and let the dough undergo a second rising for 15 minutes.

Place the baking sheet into a preheated 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until nice and golden brown.

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NOTES

I normally use olive oil, and no olives. I only cook it for 15 minutes—you still want it to be soft to your finger (don’t burn your finger though, it is hot), but a sweet reddish brown. Once out of the oven, wrap the ones you are not eating in foil immediately, this helps it stay moist.

I don’t mix with a mixer, I use a wooden spoon. The dough is ready when it just barely grabs at your hand. I usually add a little water and then a little more flour.

When poking the dough with your fingertips you want to be just hard enough that you do not go through the dough. I normally put some nails marks into it. I like my little finger marks all over, it gives it the right texture.