It seems that, since New Year's Day, we have been invited to Open Houses and dining out. I was ready to resume some home cooking! Plus, tomorrow, my three week vacation ends and I return to working full-time. My meal plans will go back to include fast work week recipes, and a lot less sweets and holiday gourmet meals.Today, I made Lasagna (will post later in the week) and focaccia bread. I love dipping my focaccia bread in extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In the summer, when my basil is flourishing, infusing my olive oil with that delicious herb-- and some garlic-- takes my bread dipping sauce to a new level.
I'm just learning how to bake different types of bread-- and this recipe was as easy as King Arthur promised it would ne. From prep to baking time, my bread was ready in less than two hours! It was super easy to make-- I used my trusty Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. I did take some photos of my bread, but it was late in the day and the lighting just wasn't quite right. So, I decided to use the photo from the King Arthur website.
For the rest of the week, I made Sloppy Joe's (from scratch and not from a Mannwich can) by request of my son. I'm all set for the next three nights-- where my husband and son can easily reheat everything while I'm taking my night classes.
I won't be posting as often, but I'll still be around. Back to work... no matter what, I always make time to cook dinner. I just can't resort to "take out". My idea of fast food is to have the ingredients on hand and have it on the table in 30 minutes, or less. Simple, good and I control what goes in it!
No Fuss-Focaccia Bread
From King Arthur Flour
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor, optional
- 1/4 cup Vermont cheese powder, optional
- Pizza Seasoning, optional
Directions
| 1) Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom. |
| 2) Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds. |
| 3) Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it's become puffy. |
| 4) While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F. |
| 5) Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger. |
| 6) Drizzle it lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with pizza seasoning, and/or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired. |
| 7) Bake the bread till it's golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. |
| 8) Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. |
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