"of all smells, bread"

made some focaccia herb bread yesterday afternoon while it rained so wonderfully.

will be posting the recipe later today...in a rush to finish some knitting before class!

and now for the recipe (from this book):

1 package active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra whole leaves for garnish (i added some thyme as well)

3 cups all purpose flour, or 1 1/2 cups each all-purpose and whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

olive oil for brushing

coarse salt for garnish

combine the yeast and warm water in a large bowl. stir in the olive oil, chopped rosemary, and flour, and knead to form a soft dough. if the dough is sticky, work ina little flour, 1 Tbsp at a time. turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 6 minutes, until smooth. pour a little olive oil in the original bowl, add the kneaded dough, and turn a few times to coat the dough with oil. cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 1 hour, or until a hole poked into the side of the risen dough fills up slowly.

punch down the dough, return it to the floured surface, and knead a few times. then, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a large circle about 1 1/2 inches thick. transfer the dough to a lightly greased cookie sheet. poke several holes into the dough with a fork, sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary leaves, and brush with a little oil. cover again with dish towel and let rise for 20 minutes.

while the dough is rising for the second time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the bread is lightly browned and firm. remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

enjoy!!

oh yes...the olive spread. i got it from the farmers market. here's the ingredients: green and black olives, garlic, fire roasted red pepper, parsley, olive oil, canola oil, lemon juice, capers and spices.

mmmmmmm.