Gift of Simplicity: Focaccia Bread

Focaccia Bread

2-1/2 Cups Hot Milk -- 120* - 130*

13-1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided

4-1/2 Cups White Flour

1 Cup Semolina Flour, plus more for flouring pan

1-1/2 teaspoons Salt, divided

2-1/4 Tablespoons Yeast

3 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning

1-1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Pour a scant Tablespoon Olive Oil into a quarter-sheet rimmed pan (12" x 17", the "Costco Jelly Roll pan", as we call it) and coat with Semolina Flour, set aside.

In a mixer work bowl, place both Flours, 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 3/4 teaspoon Salt, Yeast, Italian Seasoning, and Rosemary. Blend on medium with dough hook. Reduce speed to low and add Milk slowly. Raise speed to 'knead' (which is '2' on my Kitchen Aid) and mix for 5 minutes, stopping halfway to ensure that the dough is thoroughly mixed on the bottom--dry lumps are no fun to crunch into! Remove from work bowl and spread evenly into pan. Indent with your fingers; brush with 2-1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of Salt (I like to use my salt grinder here). Let rest for 30 minutes. Bake at 400* until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Brush with additional Olive Oil if desired. Cut into 24 squares for serving.

I made 2 recipes of this--if you have a large mixer you can make a double batch at once--and used them to make sandwiches for the freezer for the children's school lunches. I used a mayo-pesto mix, mustard, turkey, and provolone. If you wanted to make these for a Luncheon or Tea you could add in thin-sliced Tomato, Butter Lettuce, Sprouts, Avocado, thin-sliced Red Onion, Olive Tapenade, slices of Nectarines or Mangoes, or sliced Almonds, or maybe all of them, and toast for about 10 minutes at 350*.

But none of that works well in the freezer, so I didn't.

Enjoy!

Jesus said unto them, "I am the Bread of Life;

he that cometh to Me shall never hunger,

and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst."

John 6:35

Then said they unto Him, "LORD, evermore give us this Bread."

John 6:34