Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia



Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia is the perfect accompaniment to soups and stews, salads, and pasta dishes. This is a flexible, forgiving recipe, so even if you don’t have much experience with yeast breads, you’ll have a hit with this one. Don’t worry if you don’t have fresh Parmesan on hand. Feel free to omit the cheese or substitute whatever cheese complements the dish you’ll be serving it with. You can use almost any grated hard cheese, or even crumbled blue cheese. You can also add strips of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion.

Serve this fragrant focaccia warm, fresh from the oven.



Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia

  • 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

  • 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) quick-rise yeast

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 11/4 cups very warm water

  • 3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, rinsed and patted dry

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper



  1. Combine 4 cups all-purpose flour, quick-rise yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to distribute yeast. Add olive oil, vegetable oil, and water to dry ingredients in bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture comes together into a soft dough.




  2. If your bowl is large enough, you can knead the dough directly in the bowl. Sprinkle the surface of the dough and your hand with flour, and knead for a few minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.


  3. Brush the surface of the dough lightly with oil and cover the bowl with a cloth. Place in a warm area free from drafts to let rise.



  4. Let dough rise until it is at least double in size. (With quick-rise yeast, this will take between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the temperature of the place it is rising in.) In the meantime, prepare the topping ingredients. Strip enough fresh rosemary leaves from their stems to equal approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons. Chop rosemary.



  5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a 15-inch x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.


  6. Place the dough in the oiled pan and use your hands to stretch it to fit. Lightly brush the dough with extra-virgin olive oil.



    7. Sprinkle dough evenly with chopped rosemary, chopped garlic, shredded Parmesan cheese, coarse salt, and freshly ground black pepper.



    8. Bake at 450 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.




Makes 15 to 20 pieces.

Thanks, G., for lending me your hands for these photos!

Comments

  1. perfect..I just made this and turned out good...I caramahflgntpzlized the onions though

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm intimidated by bread baking, but this sounds so heavenly that I may just have to get over my phobia. We have an overabundance of rosemary and it would be nice to put it to good use.

    I can smell it baking now!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like this recipe . . .it's delicious thats the only way to describe it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, I am so impressed! Lovely photos and step by step guide. I have a small rosemary plant, didn't know they can be used for bread. Glad to find your blog, thanks for visiting :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. yum! I hope to give this one a try soon!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can practically smell that bread through the computer! It looks delicious. I love foccacia!

    ReplyDelete
  7. i have been thinking about focaccia for weeks now! this looks delightful!

    ReplyDelete
  8. ~Rachel: Great! I'm so glad it turned out well. Good idea to caramelize the onions!

    ReplyDelete
  9. ~Susan C: If you make one yeast bread in your whole life, make this one . . . it's so easy! Plus, you can use this exact same dough for deep-dish Chicago-style pizza (if you are so inclined). :)

    ~Thanks, Griffin - you should know!

    ~Noobcook: I'm jealous of your rosemary plant! I can't seem to keep one alive. Now I justbuy the fresh cut herb and dry it. But I really wish I could grow my own!

    ~Thanks PatsyK!

    ~Kristen: It's true, the whole house does smell good when you back this one. And it makes a ton . . . enough for the freezer!

    ~Cindy*: Thank you! I hope you give this one a try. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'll be making this tomorrow night with dinner. It'll be perfect for Saturday sandwiches too. It looks wonderful.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for visiting! Care to share?

Popular Posts