Garlic & Thyme Focaccia Bread
Kathryn Gillis |
Photo by Kathryn Gillis This delicious and healthy focaccia bread recipe is easy to master and is sure to become a family-favorite!
We like to bake this bread any time we have soup on the menu for dinner because it is perfect for dipping!
I use fresh organic thyme leaves from my herb garden, but you can use dried thyme or oregano if you don’t have any fresh thyme on hand. I hope your family loves it as much as mine does!
Garlic-Thyme Focaccia Bread
Ingredients:
4 cups organic flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1.5 cups very warm water (110 degrees)
2.5 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 heaping teaspoons raw honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons organic thyme leaves
Organic cold-pressed olive oil
Sea or Himalayan salt in a grinder
Directions:
Warm your water to 110 degrees and pour into a glass bowl, then add the honey and yeast and whisk just to combine. Let it sit until it’s bubbly at the top, about 3-5 minutes.
Add two cups of the flour and the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add another cup of flour and stir well, then pour into a clean and floured countertop and knead by hand for 7-8 minutes, occasionally sprinkling more flour onto the surface or onto the palm of your hand while kneading. Don’t add too much of the remaining cup of flour; there will be days when you’ll need more or less depending on humidity and temperature. The dough should be smooth, elastic, but still sticky when you’re done kneading.
Drop a half tablespoon of olive oil into a glass bowl and add the ball of dough. Cover with a cloth and let it sit (proof) in a warm environment until doubled in size, about 45-75 minutes (again depending on environment). I use the bread proof function on my oven and it takes 45 minutes, setting it on the counter at room temperature would take longer.
Once it has risen, oil your hands with olive oil and punch down, then knead on the counter for 2 minutes, just enough time to press the air bubbles out.
Pour two tablespoons olive oil into a large cast iron pan. Add the dough ball and roll in the oil, then flip it over and press and stretch it gently to fit into the pan. It will be oily. Cover and let proof for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sprinkle garlic and thyme leaves over top of dough and make deep dimples into the entire surface of the dough using your fingers, gently pressing the garlic and herbs into the dimples. Drizzle the top with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground sea or Himalayan salt.
Bake in center of your oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on the top and crispy on the bottom. If you are using a thermometer, cook to precisely 200 degrees. Remove from pan immediately and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing and enjoying!
Garlic-Thyme Focaccia Bread
Description
This delicious and easy garlic and thyme focaccia is a family favorite that goes great with soups!
Ingredients
- 4 cups organic flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1.5 cups very warm water (110 degrees)
- 2.5 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 heaping teaspoons raw honey
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons organic thyme leaves
- Organic cold-pressed olive oil
- Sea or Himalayan salt in a grinder
Instructions
Warm your water to 110 degrees and pour into a glass bowl, then add the honey and yeast and whisk just to combine. Let it sit until it’s bubbly at the top, about 3-5 minutes.
Add two cups of the flour and the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add another cup of flour and stir well, then pour into a clean and floured countertop and knead by hand for 7-8 minutes, occasionally sprinkling more flour onto the surface or onto the palm of your hand while kneading. Don’t add too much of the remaining cup of flour; there will be days when you’ll need more or less depending on humidity and temperature. The dough should be smooth, elastic, but still sticky when you’re done kneading.
Drop a half tablespoon of olive oil into a glass bowl and add the ball of dough. Cover with a cloth and let it sit (proof) in a warm environment until doubled in size, about 45-75 minutes (again depending on environment). I use the bread proof function on my oven and it takes 45 minutes, setting it on the counter at room temperature would take longer.
Once it has risen, oil your hands with olive oil and punch down, then knead on the counter for 2 minutes, just enough time to press the air bubbles out.
Pour two tablespoons olive oil into a large cast iron pan. Add the dough ball and roll in the oil, then flip it over and press and stretch it gently to fit into the pan. It will be oily. Cover and let proof for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sprinkle garlic and thyme leaves over top of dough and make deep dimples into the entire surface of the dough using your fingers, gently pressing the garlic and herbs into the dimples. Drizzle the top with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground sea or Himalayan salt.
Bake in center of your oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on the top and crispy on the bottom. If you are using a thermometer, cook to precisely 200 degrees. Remove from pan immediately and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing and enjoying!
Keywords: focaccia, bread, garlic bread, thyme bread
