Herb Focacia Bread

Weather was gloomy and wasnt up to going out thus putting on hold my plans to  be out and about.  Since I was home, what better thing to do than spending my time in the kitchen.  Furthermore, my children usually comes home hungry after a long day at school and I love to prepare snack or light meal for them.  After running thru what I had in the pantry, there's some bread flour left and decided to make Herb Focacia Bread.  Went to my balcony and plucked some rosemary, basil and parsley to make my bread.  Here's the recipe:-

Ingredients

400 gm bread flour 

2 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

3 tbsp olive oil

250 ml warm water

1/4 cup some finely chopped fresh herbs

coarse sea salt or italian herbs for sprinkling 

Method:-

1.  In a bowl, add half of the bread flour, add yeast, sugar and olive oil.  Pour the warm water onto yeast and quickly stir until you see the gluten forming.

2.  Add the other half of the bread flour and salt and mix drawing in all the flour.    Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it become a soft dough not sticky.

3.  Lightly knead in the herbs and shape the dough into a ball.  Put it in the bowl that was lightly coated with oil.  Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise until the dough doubles in volume.

4.  Once the dough has risen, punch the dough and knead lightly.  Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for further 10 minutes.

5.  Shape the dough and put in a loaf pan which has been lightly coated with oil.  Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt or italian mix herbs.  

6.  Cooked in a preheated oven 230C for 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool the loaf on a wire rack.

7.  Serve the bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.