Foccacia (Italian Herb Bread)...

Winter is one time of the year I actually donot mind spending hours in front of a Hot Oven be it in the comfort of our Home or at Work...It is just not the heat but the delicious aromas that waft around the apartment when baking anything that actually inspires me to bake more and more...especially on a cold evening and guess what it tickles B's hunger pangs even more and he actually eats more than he usually does (which I am very happy about...because he is thin as a stick)...and enjoys the meal...and usually does not complain like he always does...

I was on a Bread Baking Mania sometime back...one item that I made sure that I baked on a regular basis was an Italian Herb Bread variety known as "Foccacia"... There is always a great debate on how the word 'Foccacia' is spelt and pronounced. Anyways I got this spelling from one of my teachers at school and he seems to be quite sure that this is the spelling...

We personally prefer this to the regular bread because it has olive oil and oregano, two of my favourite ingredients...and you can pile on any top garnish as you wish...I personally grate some cheddar cheese, chop up some olives and sun-dried tomatoes and spread that on top...to give that extra boost of taste....

You can eat this bread as it is or slice up and use as regular bread with whatever fillings you prefer...I eat it slices as it warm from the oven....or sometimes use it as an accompaniment to the soups and pasta dishes I make...

So here goes the recipe...to make one Loaf...

Ingredients:
250ml Water(lukewarm)
8gms Dry Yeast(1 Sachet) or 5gms if using Fresh Yeast
350gms Plain Flour
1teaspoon Salt
1teaspoon Dry Oregano
20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Other Ingredients: (Optional)
A few Sun-Dried tomatoes( roughly diced)
A few Spanish Black Olives(sliced)
A Tablespoon of grated Cheddar Cheese
Some Dried Oregano to sprinkle on top
Olive Oil

Process:
1. Firstly Warm water until is body temperature or lukewarm...add the yeast to it and a teaspoon of SUGAR...then cover it and leave it aside for about 10 minutes...

2. Meanwhile sieve the flour... and add the salt, olive oil and dried oregano to the flour and mix in the ingredients well..

3. The yeast water after 10 minutes should appear frothy proving that the yeast has started growing...add this water to the flour mix and mix it till it becomes a smooth dough...if the dough appears sticky then add a little more flour to make the dough smooth...but a little moisture will actually help the dough to proove(yeast growing) well...knead well using your palms for about 10 minutes

4. Then place the dough in an oiled bowl...cover it and keep in it in a warm spot...and leave it till the dough doubles in size...

5. Then roll out the dough onto a floured surface and knock out all the air bubbles while kneading it...the dough will become its original size...

6. Then using fingers only shape the dough in the form of a loaf... and place it on a well oiled baking tray...(see the picture below for reference)

9. Then bake the loaf for about 15 - 20 minutes...the top of the loaf must be golden and when you lift the loaf and tap it on the bottom side...it should sound hollow...(be very careful when lifting the loaf to check this it will be very hot....use your oven mutt...so that it wont burn you...)

10. The finished product looks as the picture below...and as I already said you can eat as it is...and believe me the aromas are awesome and taste this warm bread on your palate cannot be described...and you will definitely fall in love with the art of Bread Baking...Trust me [:-)]

I will follow up this recipe with a wholesoup soup for which this bread goes as a great accompaniment...

If you dont like Oregano...you can use dried Rosemary or Thyme....or any Italian Dried Herbs...

Image Source: My Trusty Phone Camera
Recipe Source: Bread Baking Class (with my own additions and deletions ofcourse..he he...:-D)

Try this out and do let me know how it comes out...If you are trying baking bread for the first time...I suggest that you follow the recipe as it is...to avoid disappointment..(because remember baking is a art that you need to master before you can alter it...I have tried this many many times before I have gained the confidence...)