Herbed Foccacia Bread

Don't you just love going to Macaroni Grill and snacking on their bread? I love it! Dipping it in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.....oh man, I could eat the whole thing! The recipe for this foccacia bread is delicious by itself or served with your favorite dish. We ate it with some pasta and meatballs....and of course dipped in balsamic and olive oil. This makes a big pan of bread so I put half of it in the freezer after it was baked for another time, but it would be super easy to halve the recipe.

Herbed Foccacia Bread




1 2/3 cups lukewarm water
1 package active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
5 cups flour plus additional for kneading
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons for the top of the bread
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Stir together water and yeast in a mixing bowl and allow to stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Add 5 cups flour, 1/4 cup oil, and salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms.

Switch to a dough hook and knead dough at medium speed until soft, smooth, and sticky, about 3 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. Knead dough 1 minute (it will still be slightly sticky), then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil.

Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place, until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Press dough evenly into a generously oiled 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Let dough rise, covered, until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Stir together Italian seasoning and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. With fingertips, make shallow indentations all over dough. Brush with herbed oil, letting it pool in indentations.

Sprinkle sea salt evenly over focaccia and bake until golden, about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Immediately invert a rack and flip bread, then turn right side up.

Serve warm or at room temperature with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Here's the line up.

Add the yeast to the warm water...

..and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Add the flour, olive oil, and salt.

Mix with a paddle attachment 

until a dough forms.

Then switch to the hook 

attachment and let the mixer 

go for about 3 minutes until 

the dough is smooth.

Turn out onto a lightly floured 

surface and knead for a minute or 

two, adding more flour if the 

dough is too sticky.

Spray a large bowl with 

cooking spray then put the

 dough in the bowl. Spray the 

top of the dough then cover 

with plastic wrap.

Let rise until doubled. I put mine on a heating pad.

Spray a rimmed pan with cooking 

spray and press risen dough into the pan. 

Cover with a towel.

Allow to rise for about an hour.

With your freakishly huge hand, 

press your fingertips into the dough 

to make shallow indentations.

Like this!

Combine 3 tablespoons of olive 

oil and the Italian seasoning.

Brush all over the bread. Then 

sprinkle the sea salt over the bread.

Bake until golden brown.

Immediately, turn the bread out onto a rack.

Then flip it right side up.

Yum!! Gotta love fresh bread of any kind!!