Breakfast In the Hills of Umbria

I have a thing for foccacia. I like it split for sandwiches, or plain, with olive oil, salt and rosemary warm from the oven for breakfast in the morning (like the pizza bianca I had in the mornings in Umbria the summer I stayed there.) This is a very easy bread to make. Cut it into squares and serve it in your dinner breadbasket with a bottle of herbed olive oil* for dipping.

4 cups flour
1/2 T salt
1 package active dry yeast
1 t sugar
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T coarse kosher salt
2 T dried rosemary

Sift 1 cup of flour into a large mixing bowl. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 3/4 cup of tepid water. Form a well in the flour, add the yeast mixture, and mix well, then kneed for 5 or so minutes until elastic. Set aside in warm place to rise, about 3 hours, until double in bulk.

Add one cup of warm water, mix, add 3 cups sifted flour and the salt, mix, then kneed until combined and elastic. Dust with flour if mixture is too sticky, or add water (sparingly) if too dry. Cover with plastic sheet or dish towel and set aside to rise for another 2 - 3 hours, until double in bulk.

Spread olive oil on the bottom of your baking pan (11 1/2 inches by 15 1/2 inches). Place dough in pan and stretch dough into sheet, pressing down firmly with your fingers to make indentations every 1/2 inch or so. Mix 1 tablespoon coarse kosher (coarse) salt with about 3 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. When salt has partially dissolved, dribble mixture over dough and gently work into indentations with your fingers. Scatter the rosemary over the surface of the dough and gently press the leaves into the dough with your fingers. It shouldn't sit on top but penetrate the surface to infuse the bread as it bakes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Allow dough to sit for about 1/2 hour, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until focaccia is golden. Serve hot or at room temperature.

* Herbed Olive Oil

6 whole black peppercorns
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 quart extra virgin olive oil

Place the peppercorns, herbs and garlic in a 1 quart sterilized bottle. Add the olive oil, insuring that all the herbs are completely covered.

Seal, label and store in the refrigerator for 10 days to infuse. Olive oil flavored this way will need to be kept in the refrigerator and will need to be watched for signs of molding. But, damn, it is good on fresh bread and it makes spectacular vinaigrette.

My favorite Italian restaurant serves it this way in their breadbasket. I try to remember not to fill up on the breadbasket everytime I eat there, but I'm usually not successful. Their pastas are made fresh in house but they get their breads from a tiny boutique bakery down the street.