Vegetable Focaccia

Mmm, focaccia bread. One of my favorites every since they opened the Brigham Young University Museum of Art Cafe (WAYback when I was still a student). I use to go there for lunch because they had this delicious Chicken Caesar salad with focaccia bread on the side. Oooo, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Well, a few years ago I actually found a recipe for the yummy bread. I'm still playing around with it, but last night was pretty close to perfect for me. It is great just as bread as a side, or you can make a yummy vegetable pizza with it.

Vegetable Focaccia and Cheesy Bread

Bread

*2 to 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
*1 package (1 heaping tablespoon yeast)
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 cup warm water
*1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt. (Last night I added about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the flour mixture.) Add water and oil and mix until it forms a soft dough. (Remember soft but not sticky). Knead for 4 minutes then let it rest for 15 minutes. If making the pizza, prepare vegetables while the dough is resting.

2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Press the dough into a pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Prick with a fork and bake for 5 minutes then cover with toppings and bake for another 8-10 minutes. (So if just making bread, cook for about 15 minutes.)

Vegetable Toppings
*chopped tomatoes
*sliced mushrooms
*1/2 cup chopped green pepper
*sliced olives
1/4 cup chopped onions
*3 tablespoons olive oil
*2 teaspoons red wine or cider vinegar
*3/4 teaspoons salt
*1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
*1/4 oregano

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Super easy!

Tip: As you can see, I made the pizza and the cheesy bread with the same dough. It won't look like a lot of dough, but the bread as pizza is better if you keep it thin. It will rise while cooking and you end up full anyway. For the cheesy bread, I just brushed it with olive oil and sprinkled cheese. The Vegetable pizza is so good that it doesn't need cheese (I prefer it without, but my hubby likes the cheese so ours has it on it in the picture). The extra oil around the edges bakes a nice crispy crust! Mmmm. Enjoy!