Rosemary Focaccia

Also known as Italian flat bread, Focaccia is one of my personal favorite. You can mix and match different ingredients and come up with something spectacular.  I got to work again with my favorite herb- rosemary and my whole house smelt so good after baking this :)

Ingredients-

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp dry yeast

luke warm water

olive oil

1 small red onion (sliced)
3-4 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped fine)

rosemary leaves

salt (1/2 tsp)
5-6 Black olives (optional)

Preparation-

• Sift the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the yeast.
• Pour in warm water, crushed/chopped garlic, olive oil and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface (for good 10 minutes)
• The dough should be smooth and elastic.
• Once done, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel.
• Leave it in a warm place for an hour till it doubles in volume.
• After an hour (when the dough has doubled up), punch the air and knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes.
• Roll out the dough to a large circle (about 1 cm thick)and transfer to a greased baking tray.
• Brush the dough generously with olive oil.
• Sprinkle the sliced onions, chopped rosemary and some salt on the dough (generally sea salt is used- I just used the regular salt) - Press them gently on the dough so that they stick and get embedded.
• Using a finger, make deep indentations in the dough- stick the black olives in a pattern.
• Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and leave it to rise for 30 minutes. 
• After 30 minutes, when the dough has risen a bit, pop it in a preheated oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes (220 degree celsius)
• Serve warm with salad/soup.