Friday night dinner bread...

Based on this photo from Friday night dinner...

...I would be doing a disservice to you all by keeping the recipe to myself and not sharing the goodness of this focaccia. You can thank me later with a mouthful of bread.

This is a super easy recipe that results in lots of flavor that you can either dip in a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or just eat the focaccia plain. Either way, you will make this bread more than once, I guarantee it. Plus for you pregnant ladies in the first trimester, carbs help to soak up that acid and improve the nausea feeling. 

To make this focaccia, first gather together your ingredients. 2 cups warm water (105F to 115F), 2 teaspoons dry yeast, 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil, about 24 olives, brined cured either green or Kalamata, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried.

Place the 2 cups of warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle the 2 teaspoons dry yeast over and stir with a fork. Let the yeast stand for about 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes, add 4 1/4 cup flour and salt to the water and yeast mixture. 

Mix the ingredients together, the dough will be sticky. Knead the dough on the container or in your stand mixer for 10 minutes. Add more flour if necessary. Form the dough into a ball. In another bowl, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the dough ball. Turn the dough ball over once to coat. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let the dough rise until doubled about 1 1/2 hour. After the dough has doubled, punch the dough down and let it rise for another 45 minutes. Keep the bowl covered whenever it is rising. On a large baking sheet, sprinkle 1 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and press the dough out but not as large as your baking sheet. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top of the dough, then sprinkle the chopped rosemary and olives. The olives should be pitted and sliced in half. Press the olives into the dough if you would like. 

Let the dough rise for another 45 minutes until you bake. When you are ready to bake your focaccia, preheat your oven toe 475 degrees F. Bake the bread until brown and crusty, about 20 minutes. Serve the bread either warm or room temperature and enjoy!