Easy and Quick Focaccia Bread

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

I was looking for a good focaccia bread recipe to go with my High Desert Pizza Focaccia Sandwich, but never found what i was looking for. That is until I found this recipe. I am pretty particular when it comes to recipes and the focaccia bread recipes I found in the past just didn’t sit well with me for one reason or another. I even tried one from Michael Chiarello from the Food Network and to tell you the truth it wasn’t good at all.

Oh by the way I went and bought a rosemary bush for $4.50 at Lowes. Way cheaper than the package you would buy at the grocery store and its pretty much a never ending supply. I wouldn’t omit the rosemary if I were you.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Adapted and slightly modified from stephencooks.com

Ingredients

  • 5 C. Flour (I use bread flour for everything but all purpose is good)
  • 4 t. Active dry yeast
  • 2 t. Sugar
  • 2 t. Salt (I use Kosher)
  • 4 T. Fresh rosemary, chopped (leave some coarsely chopped for the top)
  • 1/2 C. Olive oil + more for baking
  • 1 3/4 C. Warm water (about 105 – 110º)
  • Plenty of coarse salt (I use the coarse setting on my Costco Sea Salt grinder)
  • 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water

Directions

  1. Place the flour, yeast, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and half the rosemary (if using) in the food processor bowl. Process in a few bursts to mix. With the processor running, slowly add 1 cup of the water, then the 1/2 cup olive oil and finally the remaining 3/4 cup water. Process until the dough coalesces into a ball and starts riding around on the blade. Turn out on a floured board and knead a few strokes. Dough should be relatively stiff but still pliable. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place ’til doubled, about 1-1/2 hour.
  2. Place the baking stone in the oven and preheat to 450º. Punch the dough down, divide into 2 balls and flatten each ball to a disk about 8 – 10 ” in diameter. Place on a corn-meal covered board or peel, cover with a clean towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1/2 hour.
  3. When the dough has finished the second rising, use your forefinger to poke deep dimples all over the loaf, about 1-1/2″ apart. Drizzle olive oil over the loaves filling up the dimples as you go, scatter on the remaining rosemary and the coarse salt and slide them onto the stone. Bake 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375º and bake 20 – 25 minutes more, until the bread is a nice dark golden brown. Two minutes before the bread is done, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with more coarse salt and if you want more rosemary (as you brush it with the eggwash some of the rosemary on the top will fall off).
  4. Allow to cool on a rack for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Best Waffle Recipe Ever

Best Waffles Ever

Edit 11-23-11 – I have finally added a picture of the waffles. It isn’t the greatest but here it is. I love that waffle iron by the way. It is old and makes the best waffles.

I have ported my “Best Waffle Recipe Ever” over from my portfolio website but i wanted to share it here as well. This will be the main place I do recipe related things from now on.

This recipe was linked from my other website to multiple places including Serious Eats and

My father-in-law is the breakfast master but there has always been a problem, his recipes are in his head. This includes measurements of ingredients. This is a predicament when someone like me wants to make his recipes. Although I have recently learned that his waffle recipe is an actual recipe with real world measurements. These waffles are far and away the BEST WAFFLES EVER!! I mean crispy on the outside, kind of chewy on the inside, yet light. Not heavy. MMMM soooo good.And the recipe was right in front of my nose the whole time. Without further ado:

Best Waffle Recipe Ever

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 C. All Purpose flour
  • 1 T. Baking Powder
  • 1/4 t. Salt
  • 1 T. Sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 3/4 C. Milk
  • 1/2 C. cooking oil
  • 1 t. Pure vanilla extract
  • 2 egg whites

Directions

  1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center. In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in milk, oil, and vanilla. Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (should be lumpy).
  2. Now the important part. In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight up). This may take a few minutes. Make sure you use beaters, its much easier this way than trying to whisk them by hand. Gently fold egg whites into flour and egg yolk mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white, DO NOT OVERMIX. And proceed to make your waffles, about a cup of mixture to make a waffle. Good luck

To go with these tasty goodness’s I don’t recommend maple syrup, I recommend a much lighter (taste wise) alternative syrup – vanilla syrup. Recipe:

Vanilla Syrup

From Me

Ingredients

  • 2 C. Sugar
  • 1 1/4 C. Water
  • Capful + of Vanilla Extract (imitaion or real)

Directions

  1. Put Sugar and Water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the vanilla and let boil for a minute or 2. Serve hot over tasty goodness Waffles or pancakes or whatever…