Foccacia

Yield: One 9" x 13" loaf
Time and Temp: 35 minutes at 375F

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups of warm water (110 - 115F)
• 1 packet of yeast (1/4 oz.)
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 3 - 3 1/2 cups of flour (all-purpose is fine)
• olive oil
• rosemary, about a teaspoon (freshly chopped is better, but dried is okay, if you crush it up a bit)

Method:

1. Mix the first three ingredients in a small bowl, and leave it until it gets foamy
2. Mix 3 cups of the flour and the salt in a large bowl
3. Stir the foamy yeast mix into the dry ingredients, and mix well (it will be sticky)
4. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead it for a few minutes, working in more flour until it's still soft, but no longer sticky, and has a nice elasticity (3 - 4 minutes or so)
   
5. Coat a large bowl with olive oil, form the dough into a ball, and place it in the bowl, turning it to coat it thoroughly with the oil
6. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until double in size
7. Punch down the dough
8. Coat a 9" x 13" baking pan with olive oil, and press out your dough into it, working it all the way into the corners the best you can
9. Drizzle olive oil all over the top of the dough, spread it out, and poke dimples in the dough with your fingertips (it's fine if they fill in with olive oil)
10. Sprinkle the rosemary on top of the bread
11. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes
12. Let cool on a wire rack or a stovetop burner

Notes:

1. This bread makes great sandwiches, toasted or untoasted, if split in half horizontally.
2. Although I simply used rosemary in this case, it's like pizza dough, and you can top it with practically anything you like.
3. The basic dough itself, w/o the oilve oil and rosemary topping, makes good pizza dough.
4. If you make this in a chilly winter house, you may want to use rapid-rise or instant yeast, instead of regular, just to speed up the rising process.