Foccacia Bread with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes

Do you like making bread and working with dough? Well I absolutely love it! There's just something very comforting to me about taking simple ingredients like flour, yeast, and olive oil and turning them into something warm and crispy and chewy from the oven.

And bread is a lot more simple to make than people might think. In our busy world of convenience, I believe we've been robbed of some very basic, simple pleasures - not to mention the fact that anything homemade right out of the oven just tastes better!

You can make this bread without the toppings and it is still just delicious, but my secret ingredient in many, many recipes is roasted tomatoes - especially in the winter when tomatoes aren't in season. Roasting them gives a depth of flavour and sweetness that can't be beat!

 To roast tomatoes simply Lay them, cut side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme and garlic. Roast for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and roast the tomatoes until caramelized, about 20 minutes more.

Okay, now back to the bread.

First, let me couch this by saying I have a full time job along with a side line business, and I still find time just about every day to make meals from scratch - this includes homemade pizza, pasta, and today's bread.

Now before you start accusing me of being the energizer bunny, let me reassure you, nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, in years past, the first thing I thought about when I arrived home from work was "Where's the takeout menus?" Followed by "What's on TV tonight?"

That was before I became intentional about my happpiness.

Nowadays, the first thing I do when I get in the door is take a deep breathe of appreciation for my cozy home. I put on comfy soft clothes, some background music, pour a glass of wine, and get into the kitchen. Oh the pleasure of it! The smells, the textures, the absolute relaxation of letting ingredients sing.

Looking for a slower, more delectable life? Get thee to some dough.

Tell em The Kitchen Witch sent you!

Foccacia Bread with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from the original recipe at Inspired Taste 

Visit printable recipe HERE


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 4 roasted tomatoes
• 10 olives (pick your favourite kind) sliced

Directions

1. In a cold medium skillet, combine olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, and the black pepper. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until aromatic, but before the garlic browns. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir a few times then let sit for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the flour and a 1/4 cup of the infused garlic-olive oil mixture. Stir 3 to 4 times until the flour has moistened. Let sit for another 5 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet then press it down into the pan. Use your fingers to dimple the dough.
4.  Press the tomatoes and olives into the dough then drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the garlic-olive oil mixture. Let the dough rise for 20 minutes until it puffs slightly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool baked focaccia bread on a wire rack.